Art for the Sake of Care: Editorial Introduction

This special issue showcases more than 30 authors with contributions rooted in artistic practice, offering fresh perspectives on care. Based on their contributions, in this editorial introduction, we propose three promises for revitalizing care through artistic practice: (1) fullness, (2) shared sensibilities, and (3) regenerating places. With this issue, we respond to what Ellen Dissanayake, professor emerita and author of Homo Aestheticus and Art & Intimacy, once wrote: “Lacking mutuality, we lack humanity” (1992, p. 43). Now, more than three decades later, in this current particularly challenging moment, we find ourselves yearning for more than just our lost humanity. We crave respect for all species and a more fluid, interconnected understanding of existence. We’re becoming increasingly aware of the deep interdependence of all life forms, urging us to transcend traditional boundaries and embrace a renewed perspective to life and how we care for it. This quest for interconnectedness and inter-species respect is not just a desire or ‘nice,’ but a necessity for a harmonious, caring future (Puíg de la Bellacasa, 2017; Varpanen et al., 2024). We've observed this yearning for regeneration not only among the authors of this issue but also among our students and on our campuses. This generation of students is particularly interested in sustainability, repurposing, and revitalizing both physical spaces and cultural artifacts through upcycling and sustainable fashion; interest in preserving and restoring historical buildings and landmarks; through community projects that aim to revitalize neglected spaces and breathe new life into forgotten corners of our cities as well as the resurgence of traditional crafts like knitting and sewing. These activities not only provide a creative outlet but also contribute to a sense of community and sustainability and care. They show us how important it is for us to ‘make.’ This special issue, Art for the Sake of Care, which emerged from five-years of collaboration in our Art & Care Platform Series (www.art-and-care.com), joins the chorus of the quickly developing interest in the nexus of Art & Care, for example through artistic, practice-led research creation on care (Travis et al., 2024; Slager, 2024; Springgay, 2022; Bickel & Fisher, 2022; ARIAS, n.d.; HKU, n.d.), research on the concept of (feminist) “care aesthetics” (Thompson, 2022; Saito, 2022; Cologni, 2020a, 2020b). And research in related but distinct fields such as art therapy, worldwide Arts & Health programs (Sonke et al., 2024; Lewis et al, 2024; Sajnani, 2023; Fancourt, 2017; Fancourt & Finn, 2019; Pesata et al., 2022; Groot et al., 2021), initiatives on the ‘art of caring’ in the Caring Sciences and nursing (Suárez‐Baquero & Champion, 2021), initiatives in the field of occupational therapy, the health humanities (Hansen, 2023; Crawford et al., 2015) and many more, such as those who are combining orientations and fields inquiring care (e.g. Bourgault & Rosamond, 2024; Daelman et al., 2024; Visse et al., 2019, 2020, 2024).