Eva Merz

Statement

I came from Denmark to live in Scotland two years ago. Since then my artistic practice has developed to include social and political subjects. Art is about communication.

I interpret this in a literal way and have found my strength in working with people directly. Through interviews and conversations I have developed my own personal research method, which has become an important part of my artwork.

I find the subjects for my artwork in the reality I’m part of. There are plenty of concerns in the local community that upset and frustrate people. This “annoyance” can be a great inspiration source. In this manner a negative force can be turned into positive ideas and action.

Conventional judgment often restricts political decision-making and I believe in art that raises discussion or suggests alternative solutions to social and political concerns. Even though I work with local subjects they can be perceived in a wider context, on a global level.

The New Social Art School, founded in Aberdeen sometime in 2004, concentrates on collaborative arts projects, bringing together artists and people from any social, political and educational background. The movement is totally independent and operates on a wide
physical and theoretical level. Any time and location is a possible space for creativity.
It’s about ideas, content and communication.
It’s about freedom from conventional thinking and bureaucratic institutionalizing.
It’s about learning rather than teaching. People meet in the process and life itself becomes the art.

By it’s work and actions the New Social Art School will seek to provoke and raise awareness to social and political issues and hereby create debate. The projects can be manifested in any public environment, media and institution, including the arts world.