Land, Use: Works by Amy Franceschini and Fernando García-Dory

Amy Franceschini and Fernando Garcia-Dory share artistic interests and approaches. Using social practice methods such as direct engagement with communities, they explore themes related to humankind's collaboration with the land. In particular, they are interested in how the development of contemporary cities has affected traditional land use such as farming and shepherding, as well as how such agrarian practices can exist within the contemporary world.

Both artists participate in and engage with contemporary practitioners of these pastoral or agricultural livelihoods. As part of their artistic practices, they learn and enable others to learn from farmers and shepherds who hold knowledge bases of their crafts passed down through generations. In doing so, they are fostering the preservation of tradition, knowledge and memory. Through major public events in urban environments, community gatherings, design, sculptures and social media, the artists have raised awareness of agrarian practices, as well as how they might be incorporated into contemporary society, politics and everyday life.

About the Artists

Amy Franceschini (b. 1970) received a BFA from San Francisco State University in 1992 and an MFA from Stanford University in 2002. In 1995, she founded Futurefarmers, an artist collective and design studio, and in 2004 she co-founded the international artist collective Free Soil. She initiates and participates in cross-disciplinary projects that incorporate cultural, agricultural and social practices, while being informed by artistic concerns such as conceptual connections, aesthetics, and design. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Whitney Museum, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.

Fernando García-Dory (b. 1978) studied Fine Art and Rural Sociology in Madrid, Spain and is currently working on a PhD in Art and Agroecology. His work explores relationships between culture and nature in contemporary life. His far-reaching, multi-faceted projects utilize traditional art techniques like drawing and photography, as well as social practices such as participatory events and the founding of organizations. His international exhibitions include those at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona; Tate Britain, London; Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid; and Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin.