CraftWork: Craeative, institutional and social potentials in new forms of participation at art museums

In CraftWorks Trapholt and Aarhus University explore and develop new methodologies for art museums understood as democratic, polyphonic and relational spaces of people and art. CraftWorks engage a great number of citizens in two large scale participatory craft projects at Trapholt, which culminate in unique and significant artworks.

The project study the processes and outcomes of the craft-based artistic projects and examine their impact on the participants, the art museum, and beyond. The purpose is to qualify our knowledge about how to develop art museums into spaces for inclusive exchange between different experiences and voices and simultaneously create works of art that expand the artistic field. The two participatory craft projects are qualified partly through action research involving participants, artists, museum professionals and researchers, and partly through exchanges with leading international museums and theorists in the field. Thereby we develop new methods for Trapholt and other art museums that wish to combine a relational and artwork-oriented practice.