Give. Give again. Keep giving. Don’t stop.
This is the beginning of artist Neil Cummings’ text, Generosity, which is included in Ends Meet, a collection of texts responding to the theme of ‘exchange’ developed by RCA MA Writing students in 2014.1 This text proposes generosity as a resource we should share in abundance and not expect in return. In a world where our time and energy often feel scarce, is it possible to give without expecting to gain?
Increasingly we are shifted into the role of the active participant. While some may lurk in the background of social media networks such as Instagram and TikTok, others have become addicted to the dopamine hit of every ‘like’.2 Many of us like to be engaged with and engage. To be more than simply a passive audience.
The rise of Virtual and Augmented Reality has taken this digital engagement beyond the confines of the screen, transforming it into a bodily activity. The upcoming iteration of the internet, Web3, is envisioned to be dominated by the metaverse, a 3D virtual space to roam freely using this technological hardware. The first large-scale implementation of this, Horizon Worlds, currently has somewhere between 200,000 to 300,000 monthly users but it is predicted to have 1,461million active users by 2030.3
Beyond the digital, others are working with a more primal sense of engagement. Particularly within the gallery, we are more often invited not to simply see and hear, but to smell, touch and sometimes taste. These immersive approaches not only enhance the experience, they also provide access to a wider audience. For example, institutions such as the V&A and the Tate now run touch tours of their works tailored specifically for blind and visually impaired visitors.4
These expanded, reciprocal notions of engagement are explored by students within this theme who are working with the interactive, experiential, participatory and sensorial. You are invited to be more than just a passive viewer, they want you to become part of the work. They hope you will be generous enough to take up their offer, so remember;
Give. Give again. Keep giving. Don’t stop.
