Term of the Week: Art Interventions

/ärt ˌin-tər-ˈven-shəns/

The term “art interventions” was mentioned recently by Mézu Ofoegbu, artist, technologist, and founder of Infinity Village Lab, during a conversation with Kacie Luaders on CivicSciTV Radio’s Consider This Next. Speaking from their Atlanta-based practice, Ofoegbu described art interventions as “participatory actions that individuals can take, and in them taking that action, makes the artwork complete.”

For Ofoegbu, “people are the medium.” The artwork doesn’t exist until someone takes action. These are not passive experiences but living exchanges — physical and embodied forms of participation that turn data, research, and lived experience into shared meaning. Whether transforming an 85-page sustainability report into a series of augmented reality experiences or inviting community members to “demonstrate with their bodies the solution to a local challenge,” Ofoegbu’s art interventions attempt to make knowledge felt, not just seen.

Food for thought

How could you integrate art interventions into your own civic science practice? What would that look like?