Curatorial Conversation: Interventionism — Past, Present, and Future

For two decades, the Design Studio for Social Intervention (DS4SI) has been at the forefront of reimagining how artists, designers, and communities shape public life. On the occasion of DS4SI’s 20th anniversary, this conversation reflects on the evolving practice of interventionism—from early experiments in artistic disruption to the contemporary urgencies of public space, democracy, and collective imagination.

The panel brings together a group of artists and cultural leaders whose work has profoundly shaped this field:

• Tania Bruguera – mobilizing art as a site of political action and civic imagination
• Krzysztof Wodiczko – transforming architecture and monuments into stages for public testimony and critique
• Kenneth Bailey – co-founder of DS4SI, building frameworks for collaborative social invention
• Crystal Bi – co-founder of the Department of Public Imagination, creating playful and civic-centered strategies for community storytelling and participation