Activist art is a term used to describe art that is grounded in the act of ‘doing’ and addresses political or social issues. The aim of activist artists is to create art that is a form of political or social currency, actively addressing cultural power structures rather than representing them or simply describing them. In describing the art she makes, the activist artist Tania Bruguera said, ‘I don’t want art that points to a thing. I want art that is the thing’.
Activist art is about empowering individuals and communities and is generally situated in the public arena with artists working closely with a community to generate the art.
Some artists concerned with activist art, are also involved in direct action, like the Women On Waves Foundation, a feminist art collective that runs a floating abortion clinic, carrying out abortions in places where they are not legal.
"If anything, art is... about morals, about our belief in humanity. Without that, there simply is no art." Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei - The Dissident
One of the most famous figures associated with political activism in contemporary art is certainly Ai Weiwei. Using his art to address the corruption of Chinese government and their neglect of human rights, but also other politically touchy issues, Ai Weiwei has become a synonym for disobedience. Some of his most memorable pieces are the Study of Perspective series where he took photographs of his middle finger sticking it up various monuments around the world including Tienanmen, the installation Rememberingwhere he campaigned to bring justice to the victims of the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, the installation Sunflower Seeds consisted of 100 million porcelain seeds made by 1600 artisans commenting on the mass production and consumption, and lately a controversial piece addressing the plight of Syrian immigrants. He has often paid the price for his art, his tongue in cheek criticism and outspoken attitude, but continues to speak and act for many.
What is the scope and impact of protest art? As Adorno famously wrote, ‘all art is an uncommitted crime’, meaning that art challenges the status quo by its very nature. Thus it can be argued that all art is political in the sense that it takes place in a public space and engages with an already existing ideology and dominant discourse. Yet, art can often become dangerously and explicitly political and serve as a powerful weapon. Throughout the history of social movements and social revolt, art has always reacted against oppression, violence, injustice and inequalities. Addressing socio-political issues and challenging the traditional boundaries and hierarchies imposed by those in power, art can open up the space for the marginalized to be seen and heard and contribute to the social change by producing knowledge and solidarity or simply raising awareness. In this way, the personal life and work of the artist transcends the individual and speak meaningfully to a larger audience bringing together the political and human functions of art.
Since many variations of protest art can be found throughout the history, it is difficult to establish the beginning of this politically engaging artistic expression. Activist conceptual and performance art was majorly influenced by Dada, an anti-war movement which used satire, non-rational and anti-idealistic discourse to critique the First World War and its capitalist agenda. Some of the other early examples of protest art include the Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiroswho has been very active in left-wing politics in the beginning of the 20th century and wanted to reach hard-working Mexicans through art. When it comes to fine art, Picasso’s Guernica (1937) based on the Spanish Civil War and capturing its atrocities and inhumanity, served as an inspiration for the modern human rights movement.
War was often a motivating factor for artists, also providing the metaphor for the more general exercise of power. Many artists during the 1960s and 1970s visibly opposed the Vietnam War including Ronald Haeberle, Peter Saul, Carl Andre, Norman Carlberg and Nancy Spero and produced artworks that raised awareness and called for the responsibility. Chris Burden’s performances with intentional wound inflicting called upon the audience to engage with political messages and consider their responsibilities. Art became a potent language to speak against various forms of oppression and persisting inequalities regarding gender, race or class. As one of the founding members of the Feminist Art Movement, Judy Chicago explored the women’s position in culture and history through large collaborative installations. Art has also shaped the cultural and political response to the AIDS pandemics during the 1980s, with artists like Keith Haring, Niki de Saint Phalle or Robert Mapplethorpe raising their voice.
As Nina Simone said, ‘how can you be an artist and not reflect the times’? We bring you some of the most influential protest art of our times.
Pyotr Pavlensky - A 'Living Pain' Artist
Often referred to as a ‘living pain’ artist, Petr Pavlensky chooses performance art that often takes form of extreme acts as his political language. Some of his stunts involve sewing his mouth shut in political protest against the incarceration of Pussy Riot members, wrapping himself naked in a barbed wire as a commentary on a series of laws suppressing civic activism and intimidating the population, nailing his scrotum on the Red Squarereferring to the apathy, political indifference and fatalism of Russian society, or cutting of his earlobe in protest against Russia’s use of forced psychiatry against dissidents. He is now facing three years in prison for burning doors of the headquarters of Russian Federal Security. Blurring the boundaries between art and his anti-Kremlin views, he sets himself apart from other similar artists by making weakness central to his work. Interesting thing is that he considers the authorities’ reaction in advance and makes it a part of his performance. If the authorities act as an aggressive apparatus, then they act according to his scenario.
Banksy - The Guerilla Street Artist
A legendary and globally famous guerilla street artist, Banksy has been throwing his politically pointed, satirical, clever and often funny pieces all around the world. Using art as a deadly political weapon, his works always interact with global politics and global issues. He once characterized graffiti as a form of underclass ‘revenge’ that allows an individual to take over the power, territory and glory from the privileged. He has dealt with various political and social themes such as anti-war, anti-consumerism, anti-fascism, anti-imperialism, anti-authoritarianism or anarchism. Banksy has recently created a series of works across Palestinian ruins in the Gaza strip, as well as in Syria. He has also done a series of murals in Calais refugee camp making a clear statement regarding the refugee crisis and the treatment of refugees. Another recent politically charged project was a subversive and dark theme park Dismaland packed with irony, satire and honesty, that was later dismantled and sent to Calais to be used as a shelter for refugees.
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