Beth W. Stewart - Abstract Artivism

Beth W. Stewart, an abstract expressionist, social scientist, and history lecturer from Vancouver, is returning to Detroit, her mother's birthplace. A Detroit that has changed since she experienced the city with her grandparents during the summers in the 1980s and 1990s.

As a scholar who has studied placemaking in communities affected by violence and oppression, she seeks and values ​​the transformative potential of on-site art practice—she calls this "site-specific abstract artivism." Therefore, "Abstract Artivism" focuses on the transformative potential of abstract expression, as opposed to "artivism," which uses art to convey messages that can inspire change. Stewart's artistic practice is informed by stories of resistance and resilience within communities. For this reason, she decided to return to Detroit to explore how site-specific art can support community-based activism, or vice versa, by examining the individual's relationship to place.

Her FILTER Detroit residency is divided into two parts. This summer, she aims to learn more about the various narratives of revitalization and renewal. Stewart will visit both historic and newly designed places and spaces (parks, urban farms, public art, etc.). Through historical engagement, physical and emotional place experiences, and interaction with renewal projects reshaping Detroit's future, she will create expressive art daily and keep a reflective journal to deepen both her artistic practice and her theoretical exploration of abstract artivism, as well as to network with Detroit artists and initiatives.

In the summer of 2026, she will return to Detroit to co-lead a workshop with local initiatives on abstract artivism as a means of expression and change.

The Consciousness Project - May 2025

The Consciousness Project, visual anthropology meets music and production

A filmmaker and visual anthropologist and a music producer and artist will be researching and filming the cultural, social and political identities of electronic techno music in different cities for the second installment of their global documentary series “Consciousness”. A blend of visual anthropology and ethnomusicology, the project aims to document the hidden stories behind the music, particularly those of sound engineers, promoters, community organizers and other often overlooked individuals who have been instrumental in shaping the cultural movement. In Detroit, they want to focus on the role behind the scenes to illuminate the stories, spaces and people who have contributed to their legacy.

Before and during this year's Movement Music Festival, a world-renowned electronic music festival, they will delve into the cultural fabric of Detroit to meet, for example, unnamed individuals who have shared and operated knowledge, space, distribution structures and networks. 

The first episode was filmed during an artist residency in Tokyo, Japan, and is currently in post-production. It includes interviews with prominent artists such as Ken Ishii, Takaaki Itoh and Wata Igarashi, as well as festival organizers, label owners and sound engineers who have played a key role in the Japanese techno scene.

Here is a teaser for the first episode, Consciousness: Japan. (2024)

More information about the “Consciousness”

https://consciousness-community.b12sites.com/music-documentary-research

More information about the artists will follow.