Praxis of Cultivating Civic Spontaneity

Abstract

This paper aims at conceptualizing the role of co-created artefacts, artistic interventions, aesthetic experience, and the civic-creative learning platform generated in the Umbrella Movement. These aspects of the protest made up what is generally understood as “art,” which we argue acted as a form of civic education during this occupy movement. We explore the triangular relationship between art, politics, and education in the Umbrella Movement through the lens of art theory, highlighting the collaborative and relational aspect of art and the concept of civic spontaneity. As such, we focus on the “endogenous effect” of art, as mass art-making generated opportunities for self-reflection and collaborative learning about civic life that enhanced participants’ understanding of deliberative citizenship.