Artists Working Reality: Towards the Capability Approach, a Means of Evaluating Art in Action

Art is contextual. It changes through time and through social, religious, and political dispositions. The phenomenon of artists working reality, of engaging directly in real-life-changes, has been spreading for decades and gained ground in Hong Kong. Experience shows that frameworks for discussing and evaluating such projects have to be fostered so as to provide discursive spaces for sharing, reflecting, and building on the rich experience and know-how emerging in this field. This essay interrelates more general and Hong Kong-specific aspects and considers the relevance and outcomes of artists working reality. It highlights the need for in-depth descriptions of Art in Action and lays a foundation for further studies on whether the capability approach could be an alternative framework (among others) for measuring the achievements of action participation and learning initiated by artists working reality.