Aesthetica compiles insights from 10 leading names working today 鈥 exploring the importance of creativity, and what 鈥渁rt鈥 means to them.
1. 鈥淐reativity is the power to reject the past, to change the status quo, and to seek new potential鈥 Creativity is the power to act.鈥 鈥 Ai Weiwei.
2. 鈥淢y work is like a dialogue between me and unseen powers, like alchemy.鈥 鈥 Cai Guo-Qiang.
3. 鈥淚鈥檓 really interested in social justice, and if an artist has a certain power of being heard and voicing something important, it鈥檚 right to do it.鈥 鈥 Shirin Neshat.
4. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want it all to be pretty 鈥 it鈥檚 a combination of loss and gain. Things are born, live and hang in limbo. That鈥檚 what life鈥檚 about.鈥 鈥 Cornelia Parker.
5. 鈥淚 believe in art that is connected to real human feeling, that extends itself beyond the limits of the art world to embrace all people who are striving for alternatives in an increasingly dehumanised world.鈥 鈥 Judy Chicago.
6. 鈥淚 actually no longer use 鈥榓rt鈥 as the framing device. I think I鈥檓 just kind of practicing things, practicing life, practicing creation.鈥 鈥 Theaster Gates.
7. 鈥淚 test the limits of myself in order to transform myself, but I also take energy from the audience and transform it鈥 a powerful performance will transform everyone in the room.鈥 鈥 Marina Abramovi膰.
8. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want a completely passive viewer. Art means too much to me. To be able to articulate something visually is really an important thing. I wanted to make work where the viewer wouldn鈥檛 walk away.鈥 鈥 Kara Walker.
9 .鈥滻鈥檝e always had quite a rebellious and contrary attitude. The more I feel I am being pushed into a mould, the more I feel like going in the opposite direction.鈥 鈥 Mona Hatoum.
10. 鈥淢ovement, change, light, growth and decay are the life-blood of nature, the energies that I try to tap through my work.鈥 鈥 Andy Goldsworthy.
