The Polyphonic Turn in Collaborative Art: Voice, Dialogue, Critique

The past decade has seen the polyphonic amplification of marginal voices enter the cultural mainstream, reflected
in the choice of Venice Biennale participants, or literary and art prize shortlists. My project examines the
multidisciplinary work of five contemporary artists (Sonia Boyce, Mikhail Karikis, Helen Cammock, Rory Pilgrim and
Andrea Luka Zimmerman), who create powerful polyphonic (many-voiced) projects in collaboration with
marginalised communities. Such socially engaged practices, which decenter the author, challenge conventional
object-centred art criticism. I aim to formulate alternative critical frameworks through which to approach polyphonic
art practice. This includes a polyphonic approach to critical writing itself, with the adoption of polyphonic creative
practice as a new pathway to the form. Besides contributing new knowledge and addressing ethical complexities in
the field, my intervention will develop a critical methodology to respond to pluralistic narratives.