Vivi (Weiwen) Peng

patconley CODEX, Researcher

Vivienne (Weiwen) Peng is a PhD researcher in i-DAT on the CODEX International Postgraduate Research Network. Her research aims to revitalise these neglected community spaces through creative artistic engagement and community participation, creating a more sustainable and inclusive model of artistic engagement with these communities, paying particular attention to investigate the application of socially engaged art in revitalised state-owned industrial communities in the Northeast and Southwest China.

Using practice-based techniques underpinned by qualitative research methods, including literature reviews, case studies, fieldwork, and structured questionnaires, to develop a theoretical framework and practical model. Her research will engage with developing an innovative and sustainable strategy for integrating socially engaged art into the lives of residents.

The research process will be three art practice projects, together with a critical thesis that contextualises the argument through discourse practice, synthesis, and reflection. As socially engaged art projects require ‘participation’, ‘dialogue’, and ‘collaboration’ from people and organisations from all walks of life, this study invites art practitioners, interdisciplinary researchers, external organisations, and residents to participate.It will be achieved through research and practice design as the solution to specific problems:

  1. Exploring the significance of socially engaged art in old post-state-owned industrial communities to reveal the impact of socially engaged art on preserving local cultural memory and promoting community identity, highlighting how art can be used as a medium to preserve and revitalise the cultural heritage of industrial areas.
  2. Innovating an experimental method of socially engaged art practice to foster new approaches to community-based art projects that are based on the specific needs and histories of communities and encourage the active participation of residents in the creative process.
  3. Creating a socially engaged art model that meets the concept of future development, integrating arts practice with urban planning and community development strategies to ensure that revitalisation efforts are culturally, economically, and socially beneficial to residents.