by Naoco Wowsugi
“Why are artists always seen as the leaders or organizers? Why can’t you be an artist by being a participant?”Naoco Wowsugi
In 2016, Naoco Wowsugi pondered how to produce profoundly promising participatory projects and initiated P.P.P. (Participating Participatory Practice). The project unfolded in secrecy because if the initiative were publicly revealed, the genuineness of the engagement might be compromised.
Through P.P.P., Wowsugi experienced numerous participatory projects from the critical perspective of both a leader and a follower. This participation involved activities such as: writing contemplative comments and poems on a large quantity of post-it notes; bravely mingling, singing, and holding hands with other attendees; tasting every article of food and drink in sight; applying skills gained from both BFA and MFA experiences to artistic workshops; and touring, rallying, and protesting—all while rocking an array of custom T-shirts. Wowsugi’s enthusiastic participation made significant contributions to the success of these artworks.
P.P.P. informed Wowsugi’s approach to community-engaged art by emphasizing hands-on experience, collective acts of care, and sharing resources with local communities. This transformation turned Wowsugi into a mutual aid advocate within these communities, expanding the artist’s role into a more fluid one and blurring the line between an artist and an engaged citizen.
Through Department of Transformation, Wowsugi now presents this project publicly for the first time and offers its example as a tool for others to use. P.P.P.P.P.P. invites people of all persuasions to practice prolific participation, paving productive pathways for their own particular creative powers.