Paper short abstract:

I discuss cross-disciplinary practices of art and visual anthropology in the art project “Koddu” which was a facet of an ongoing research on the Icelandic meltdown, crises and creativity by engaging in discussion on the notion of collective authorship, reflexive perspectives and by reformulating and re-conceiving “a contemporary critique of creativity”.

Paper long abstract:

In this paper I discuss cross-disciplinary practices of art and visual

anthropology in the art project "Koddu" which was a facet of an

ongoing critical research on the Icelandic meltdown, creativity,

crises and uncertainty. As a visual anthropologist-turned-curator and

artist collaborating with two progressive artists (forming the "Koddu"

group) I discuss the theoretical and strategic artistic practices

involved in the project which included an exhibition and artworks

which became controversial and subject to censorship. Questions are

raised in relation to the complex and hybrid role of being

simultaneously visual anthropologist, collective author of artworks

that stir agitation and instigate reactions which become central to

the ethnographic inquiry—reflecting upon "contemporary crises of

voice" in times of uncertainties. Thus, artworks are not simply

approached here as a medium - a device of communication - but a vital

methodological tool to generate new knowledge and narrations enriching

the research topic and new reflexive perspectives. Finally, the paper

focuses on learning processes and the dilemmas facing the

practitioners from both fields - art and anthropology by engaging in

discussion on the notion of collective authorship (which is on the

rise in today's art world), and by reformulating and re-conceiving "a

contemporary critique of creativity" (Raunig, Ray and Wuggenig, 2011).