Abstract
In his later works, the Frankfurt School philosopher Herbert Marcuse wrote that art has something to do with freedom. Clammer’s book seems inspired by such thinking and draws on both Walter Benjamin and Marcuse to argue that art and development are not only related but that the former is essential to the latter. In fact, it is not enough to merely pair the two but rather to think in terms of development as the development of culture. In this vision, culture becomes a means to development through the deliberate enhancement of cultural resources, education and career opportunities. Thinking about the central role of culture leads to what the author calls ‘integral development’, defined as positive, humane and ecologically responsible social transformation which avoids the negative effects of change. Two main suppositions undergird the book’s premise. The first is that economic and social development are mediated by culture, which is itself a practice constituted by the visual, dramatic, filmic and craft-inspired arts. The second is that development has been narrowly construed as a technical process dominated by economists.
A guiding inquiry of the text revolves around the provocation: what is development for? Each chapter tackles a form of artistic expression in relation to that question followed by a list of key readings and internet resources. The first chapter is a useful primer on the connections (or lack thereof) between art, culture and development. In it, Clammer provides a nuanced reading of the pathways available to rethink the arts relationally for their full inclusion in conceptualizations of development. Along the way is a critique of areas of studies that have attempted to take up the role of culture including the anthropology of development. On this view, what is missing is the treatment of concrete artistic expressions. Chapters two and three focus equally on the developed and developing world. They draw attention to culturally based social movements which fall outside traditional NGOs and NPOs and the arts within sustainability constructs, respectively. One of the more interesting examples emerges in the field of ‘emergency architecture’ whereby eco-friendly buildings are constructed in regions hit by tsunamis or in areas where refugee camps are prevalent. Chapters four, five and six explore development in the context of performance, the visual arts and writing. A series of in-depth vignettes offer insights into the transformative and therapeutic possibilities of ‘applied theatre’ (p. 63) in Brazil, where it was first developed and beyond. Clammer points out that film, photography and representation are not merely escapist visual media but espouse a politics of decolonization and liberation in the Third World Cinema. The book makes an important distinction with regards to literature on the difference between ‘writing about’ and ‘writing from within’, distilling the ways in which development and colonialism are deeply imbricated. The final two chapters treat arts education and further elaborate the concept of ‘integral development’—a foundational theme throughout. Because art has a social and political function, the pursuit of social justice over pure creativity can bring renewed opportunities for transformation.
A significant strength of the book is its adept critique of large concepts like sustainability and development. Clammer suggests that these are moral rather than technical projects. Underlying the politicization of the practices and policies associated with these terms is the call to re-envision how the world could be if cultural expression and artefacts were to be incorporated. The richly textured examples sketch vivid portraits from geographically diverse regions. The effect is akin to a series of nested stories. While it seems quite impossible to disagree with the premise of ‘integral development’, notably absent is the articulation of the messiness of ‘culture’ or a discussion related to the politics of positionality. Culture and arts have been used in the production of entrepreneurial subjects and the conscious re-positioning of nation-states in relation to the global economy. Critical tourism literature has made contributions in this arena as has scholarship on aesthetics and politics (Rancière, 2013; Tribe, 2008). Moreover, the author takes for granted that stakeholders across spatial contexts would be undifferentiated in their vision for the arts. Seemingly unacknowledged is that the questions of class, race and power are always part of the narrative. The contested terrain of cultural politics must be addressed if artistic expression is to move from the margins into a more centralized position for development. Finally, there is curiously little visual representation of art in the form of photographs, drawings and the like but one is encouraged to pursue further exploration through the suggestions in each chapter.
Clammer’s extended analysis of the missing element of culture contributes to studies of development, sustainability, humanities and arts. Although ultimately it falls short as a road map for how to engage the arts tangibly, this form of analysis is important for contemporary challenges that cut across traditional disciplinary divides. The book serves the purpose of demonstrating the potential influence of re-imagining cultural expression through arts. The case studies and wide variety of empirical examples are suitable for advanced students and practitioners. It should also find a wide audience in those with an interest in global artistic production.