Headquartered in the Bienal Pavilion and open to the public, Program in Time‘s symposiums are concerned with three key issues related to social, political, cultural and artistic conditions. The first of a series of discussions and conferences, Uses of art considers the artistic practice from the perspective of its possibilities for action.

Uses of art
September 13
The one-day symposium is co-organized by Stephen Wright and takes inspiration from his recent publication Towards a Lexicon of Usership. The day will be dedicated to recent advances in the theory surrounding “users” and the relationship between use and artistic projects.

11am – 1pm Stephen Wright on “Uses of art” (moderated by Charles Esche)
2.30pm – 5pm Presentations by SP and Brazil-based cultural producers looking at the application of art to aspirations for social change: Graziela Kunsch (São Paulo); Jose Eduardo Ferreira Santos and Vilma Santos (Acervo da Laje, Salvador); Ana Lira and Felipe Peres Calheiros (Recife); Romario Alves (Belém)
5.30pm – 7.30pm Round table with Tony Chakar, Suely Rolnik and Stephen Wright

Uses of art institutions
October 12
A second Uses of art symposium will examine the potential value of the use of art institutions and spaces and their capacity to function as platforms for critical thought and social change. 

10.30am – 1pm Reforming Institutions: Charles Esche, Bart de Baere, Zdenka Badovinac, Vasif Kortun
1pm – 3pm Lunch time for Uses of Art/Guarani and performances by Agência Popular de Cultura Solano Trindade
3pm – 6.30pm Creating Institutions: Farid Rakun (ruangrupa, Indonesia); Paola Santoscoy (El Eco, México); Emily Pethick (Cluster, Netherlands); Sumesh Sharma (Clark House Initiative, India); Sally Mizrachi (Lugar a Dudas, Colombia) – Ben, would you like to moderate this talk? We know this is an important issue for you and Casa do Povo.