Melita Couta / Theaster Gates - Art within the Community - Community within Art

Larnaca Region Women's Festival. 2015

Melita Couta is investigating the role of the artists as a “Renaissance Man” and an active member within the community. Taking as an example the work of Theaster Gates, she demonstrates how socially engaged projects can have a strong effect on local communities who are facing socio political problems, consequences of economic suffering and loss of identity. She argues that art has the ability to empower people within communities and create feasible results for the people involved. Further more she raises questions between “exploitation” and “contribution” as far as the relation between the art world and sensitive groups of people is concerned.