The poesis of policymaking
Roberto Bedoya
Democracy Is Not a State, It Is an Act, by Costas Theoharis for Fine Acts x OWoN
The poesis of policymaking
Is to look at the entanglements of imagination; and rules and regulations
Not a match made in heaven
But an odd ….maybe
that is generative and pulsing
as policy makers
the work is in the entanglements
with frustrations and joy
where …
is
the work of the arguments, in this mix?
out of focus
out of guidelines
on a perch
until the breezes moves the body
to flight
to fight
fright
so
be porous
be promiscuous
be ready
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Roberto Bedoya retired in October 2024 as Cultural Affairs Manager for the City of Oakland, where he shepherded the City’s Cultural Plan, “Belonging in Oakland“. Throughout his career he has consistently supported artist-centered cultural practices and advocated for expansive definitions of inclusion and belonging in the cultural sector. His essays “Placemaking and the Politics of Belonging and Dis-belonging”, “Spatial Justice: Rasquachification, Race and the City”, and “Poetics and Praxis of a City in Relation” have reframed cultural policy to shed light on exclusionary practices and decision making. He is the recipient of the United States Artists 2021 Berresford Prize given annually to a cultural practitioner who has contributed significantly to the advancement, well-being, and care of artists in society.
ABOUT THE COVER ART
Democracy Is Not a State, It Is an Act, by Costas Theoharis for Fine Acts x OWoN. This work was commissioned as part of SPRINTS: Reimagining Democracy – a creative project by Fine Acts and One World or None. Find more of his work on Instagram at @costasillustrations, @fineacts, and @oneworldornone.
