Cooperation and collaboration are buzzwords in the globalized art world. It’s no wonder, then, that artist collectives seem to be everywhere at the moment: from Documenta to the Turner Prize…

Cooperation and collaboration are buzzwords in the globalized art world. It’s no wonder, then, that artist collectives seem to be everywhere at the moment: from Documenta to the Turner Prize to the protest movements at museums, one is hard-pressed to find a major art event that isn’t characterized by collaborative practices and the invocation of solidarity. This more December issue of Texte zur Kunst investigates the relationship between art and activism, as well as the self-understanding of artists who work in and with collectives. In order to fulfill the ideal of emancipatory forms of working and living, communality should not be misinterpreted as a strategy for establishing equality but should instead be understood as a social question – as a means for the redistribution of wealth, participation, and recognition.