ALU-SOC THREE OF US!
Group exhibition
Multimedia exhibition as a demonstration of the potentials and project collaborations of the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of Zagreb and the Study Centre for Social Work of the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb,
The exhibition was created under the mentorship of prof.dr.sc. Nino Žganac and izv.prof.art. Danko Friščić.
FROM THE PREFACE OF THE EXHIBITION
ALU-SOC Power of Fine Arts in Social Work
In the past few years, a still informalized, but very promising cooperation has developed between two higher education institutions, the Academy of Fine Arts and the Study Center for Social Work, Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb. The initial idea of this cooperation was to experiment in finding connections between social issues and challenges that social work deals with on the one hand, and visual artistic expressions on the other hand as a powerful tool that is able to open hidden resources in people, especially those who believe that they are at the edge of their capabilities or already far below it. In fact, this connection between art and social work is not unknown in the international framework, since in recent years these areas have been connected through numerous projects and even theoretical approaches, as evidenced by the increasing amount of literature that continuously strengthens this connection. In addition to the traditional methods and techniques used by social work and other social activities to prevent or mitigate the negative consequences of social risks and problems of different social groups, art proves to be a powerful tool in working with all types of potential or current service users, and of course for a wider affirmation of social topics in society.
Starting from the assumption that the criterion for the development of modern society lies in its level of social development, and not only in the achieved economic indicators and the associated economic well-being, social work as a discipline that deals with the protection and promotion of human rights and the improvement of the quality of life is particularly interested in finding effective ways of communicating with communities on how to achieve the ideal of a good and socially just society. A society that will be marked by a high degree of social cohesion, inclusiveness and solidarity with all those who, for various reasons, do not have equal opportunities in all phases of their lives. Fine arts provide an opportunity to move away from the devastating everyday life in which there are no colors or too many aesthetics, since reality in their lives has been reduced to difficult survival and the struggle to ensure minimal human dignity. The homeless, the poor, the elderly and the infirm, children with developmental disabilities and people with disabilities, families with problems in their daily functioning, children without adequate parental care, young people with behavioral disorders, addicts and many other members of society are typical users of social work services. Their everyday life is mostly marked by the search for ways to ensure some kind of existence, in which the environment embodied in anonymous offices and often complicated bureaucratic procedures does not embellish or facilitate this search at all. Through its activities, social work should permanently find new ways to improve the quality of life of people in need and use every suitable opportunity to do so. Creative methods within the spectrum of fine arts have an irreplaceable position in this and should not be neglected in any way. Art has always served as a means of transmitting information, but also as a means of influencing people. It can help people to conceptualize, understand, organize and critically look at their own lives and the situation in which they find themselves, and to find alternative ways to overcome their own reality. In this way, through art, citizens, in cooperation with social workers and artists, can construct their own change and the change of their own environment. Art can point to hidden resources that can represent people's sources of resilience to the negative influences of the environment in which people live. Art and social work therefore largely share a common space of interest and action with their focus on social engagement and applicability in the context of everyday life of vulnerable social groups. Neither social work that would be closed exclusively in its traditional methods and techniques of action, nor visual arts that would not show openness to dialogue with helping professions and their goals can fully realize their roles that they should play in the community space. A community made up of strong and weak members, included and excluded, networked and unrelated to support systems, those who can and those who cannot take care of their own existence and their dignity in life.
The potentials of cooperation between these two areas are enormous and further development depends only on the efforts that will be invested in the development of joint programs and projects within social work and fine arts. Cooperation within the ALU-SOC mini project represents a solid foundation for some future wider integration of these areas.
prof.dr.sc. Nino Žganec
The exhibition is financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and the City Office for Culture of the City of Zagreb.
The exhibition at the Šira Gallery can be viewed during the Gallery's working hours (Mon-Fri: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) until February 12, 2020.