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The Paradox of Culture-led Urban Regeneration, Gentrification and Socially Engaged Art: A Case Study on Art Collective Assemble

  • Journal of History of Modern Art
  • 2018, (43), pp.141-174
  • DOI : 10.17057/kahoma.2018..43.006
  • Publisher : 현대미술사학회
  • Research Area : Arts and Kinesiology > Art > Arts in general > Art History
  • Received : April 29, 2018
  • Accepted : June 1, 2018
  • Published : June 30, 2018

Chison Kang 1

1제주대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

By looking at art collective Assemble’s case, this study examines the controversial and paradoxial aspects of socially engaged art in complex relationship between cultureled urban regeneration and gentrification. The neoliberal urban strategy, gentrification has undergone the transformation from ‘dirty word’ to ‘aesthetized word’ as ‘urban regeneration’. And socially engaged art absorbed under the structure of urban regeneration has been involved in gentrification more deceitful and paradoxial way. Assemble is highly praised for offering alternative model of regeneration in opposition to entrepreneurial gentrification. However, they raise questions concerning instrumentalization of socially engaged art as their works absorbed in entrepreneurial urban regeneration strategy structure. The More fundamental problem lies Assemble’s way of aesthetic and symbolic reconfiguration of industrial junk and their dependencyon the methodology of neoliberal gentrification strategy. Therefore Assemble’s case implies the paradox of gentrifying the anti-gentrification. This also signifies the blurring border between artistic resistance and commodification by intensified economic appropriation of cultural realm.

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