Ties van de Werff, steering committee member of MERIAN, gave his inaugural lecture as a lecturer in the What Art Knows lectorate at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences on Friday 16 May 2025. During the celebration of his appointment, Ties discussed the ethics of artistic engagement and advocated for more space for artists to play and experiment morally.
The lecture took place in the beautiful Stuers building, now part of the Maastricht Academy of Arts. In his lecture, Ties discussed the challenges for artists who engage with social issues. Such as obtaining an equal position in collaborative projects or a lack of resources to be able to delve deeply into social issues as an artist. Ties made an impassioned plea to see morality as artistic material that artists – through artistic research – can play and experiment with. The audience visibly enjoyed the lecture, which was humorous at times.
After the lecture, there was a chat in the sun-drenched courtyard of the Autonomous department. Ties: “It was a really special day. I was touched to see so many wonderful and different people together: from colleagues and students to former colleagues, friends and family. And I received many positive reactions to my story, which was apparently not only recognizable to artists but also to colleagues who work in other fields, such as the social domain. Very nice to hear.”
Ties’ speech will be published later in an adapted form. An aftermovie of the inauguration will also be released soon.
