Social Sculpture
Beuys and Ukeles
Josef Beuys' concept of social sculpture (1970s) is the idea that society as a whole can be shaped or sculpted like art, and that every human being is an artist in the sense that we all have the potential to contribute to shaping the social organism. This redefines art beyond the creation of physical objects to include the shaping of society itself—its politics, economics, education, and culture—through realized human creativity and interaction.
Beuys believed that creativity is a democratic process, emphasizing that art isn't confined to traditional forms like painting or sculpture but includes every conscious action aimed at positive social change. In this sense, social sculpture is about envisioning and manifesting new social realities by engaging/uplifting people in dialogue, healing, activism, and collaborative practices that challenge existing structures and promote social, spiritual, and ecological healing. The artwork is not the end product of social sculpture, but the social process itself.
Mierle Laderman Ukeles complements this concept by distinguishing between “two basic systems: Development and Maintenance…”
In the first (development) Ukeles lays out the distinction between what she calls “two basic systems: Development and Maintenance.” The former, associated with the avant-garde and implicitly male, is concerned with “pure individual creation; the new; change; progress, advance, excitement, flight or fleeing.” The latter includes tasks generally associated — at least in the private sphere — with women and domestic work: “keep the dust off the pure individual creation; preserve the new; sustain the change; protect progress; defend and prolong the advance; renew the excitement; repeat the flight.” The problem, Ukeles notes, is that our culture values development, while maintenance “takes all the fucking time.” -Jillian Steinhauer
Lately, I have been seeing my creative practice through a similar lens as an act of care, aligning closely with the concept of social sculpture and maintenance. To me, design is not solely about aesthetics, concepts, or function but about fostering connections, dialogue, and empathy; which ultimately are part of the final project/product. My hope is that every intentional interaction and decision shapes a more thoughtful and positive project. These positive changes, no matter how small, spread through society.
Design, in this context, becomes a form of social sculpting. Each project can be an opportunity to influence and improve societal structures, not through aesthetics, but our relationship with them and how we share that relationship with others. We can use human expression—whether through visual or spoken language, actions, or objects—as a tool for positive change. This holistic view emphasizes that art & design are not merely about creating objects/projects but about actively shaping & enhancing the social fabric, one small interaction at a time.
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“Manifesto for Maintenance Art 1969!” - Ukeles (4 pages)
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Links: Cina Associates, Cina Art, Public Type
the Beuys of Summer