Valerie’s Snack Bar, Jeremy Deller 2009 at Joy in People 2012. Image: Eddie Mulholland
Written by Rosemary Marchant
There has been a recent trend for participatory or socially engaging works that allow the spectator to take a more active role. They appear to have played a large part in encouraging more people to enjoy art. The artists creating these works are often celebrated for giving up some of their artistic control and letting the spectator dictate the outcome of the work. Marina Abramovic could not choose who she would sit across from in The Artist is Present nor could she predict what people would do. Yoko Ono cannot control what people write to place on her wish trees outside her current show at the Serpentine and Jeremy Deller relied on volunteers to run his cafe at his recent show Joy in People at Hayward Gallery London.
