Paramaribo SPAN: Conversation: "You cannot eat from just one plate"

AS: What do you think is the function of art?

KN: Art is, first, what is inside me bubbling to get out. I release it through art. Second, art is a voice for things at play in the community around me. I reflect these things in my work. Third, art is a means to get closer to the community. As an artist, you have a duty to educate. Through your work, you can show people what is right or wrong, and how to do things differently. Art reaches people better than a textbook.-Kurt Nahar

Paramaribo SPAN is a conversation about contemporary art and visual culture in Suriname. It will conclude with an exhibition in Paramaribo in February 2010, accompanied by a book published in three language editions. This blog is the online component of the project.