Urban entrepreneurship through art-based interventions:unveiling a translation process

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the conditions under which urban entrepreneurship can develop through art-based interventions. Drawing on two contrasting case studies (Civic City in France, Fieris Fééries in Belgium) and taking actor-network theory (ANT) as a starting analytical point, we outline the tensions involved in the implementation process of such interventions. We focus on the capacity of urban entrepreneurs to engage different relevant stakeholders (artists, local government and citizens), establish connections between disconnected worlds that are likely to challenge existing institutional structures and eventually create novelty. We identify these actors as ‘translators’. The paper shows that when urban entrepreneurs play an active translation role consistently over time, art-based interventions can have a substantial impact on urban regeneration.

KEYWORDS:

• Art-based interventions
• urban regeneration
• translation
• stakeholder’s engagement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. We must add that several authors have suggested unexpected connections between situationism and the entrepreneurship process (Bureau 2013; Bureau and Zander 2014).

2. An extension of the network has been attempted vis-à-vis local companies, which until now have not been engaged despite the implicit role they play in urban regeneration. However, these companies have maintained a distance from FF, as they do not see that they have a direct interest in being involved.

3. We must, however, note that this is a never-ending process: in the case of FF, local companies are not yet truly engaged in the urban regeneration process.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche [ANR-13- BSH1-0007-01].