The Mutual Society of Arts is a collective of artists that works on hypothetical art proposals and collaborative projects. Its courses of action aim to call into question the commonplaces of the cultural, social and political institutions.
The Mutual Society of Arts is formed by José Vicente Martín and Iván Albalate. It was founded in the year 2013 with the intention of reflecting on a new model of conceiving art creation, result of new modes of transmission of ideas and new digital media. A new context of reception of the artwork generated by the “environments and interactive technologies” would join to concepts like the “instant transmission of information” and the “dissolution of the original talisman” which would go forward into the active participation of the spectator. These three aspects: ubiquity, dissolution and participation define the vector of the new model of conception of art work. It is not about the disappearance of the figure of the artist promoted by the failed democratization of the avant-garde, but a new figure of artist that focuses its objectives in the design of aesthetic experiences that produce meaning. A return to the transcendence, in search of a meaningful experience whose means of implementation are various and not definitive.
Therefore, the works of The Mutual Society of Arts are based more on the idea of project and its possibilities than on a formal and closed vision of art. This way, The Mutual Society began as a bank of ideas for art projects. These projects are shared through the web site to be developed by other artists or entrusted to the own The Mutual Society. Likewise, The Mutual Society proposes art projects to be performed in collaborative way with other artists.