Art in the Service of Sociopolitical Upheaval

2006

"THE FOLLOWING ESSAYS EXPLORE MANY DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE OF ART IN PROCESSES of social change. Some address the power of art as a voice of dissent, as a tool for advancing social justice and democracy, as the core of a revolutionary strategy, and as a source of memory and future ways of knowing. Other essays warn about the art of power, such as government and art world censorship, the co-optive ability of capitalism, and the blinding force of Western rationalization."

2020

2010

According to Reed (2005) the arts function as cultural forms within social movements to transform society innumerous ways. These functions are to: encourage social change; empower and deepen commitment; inform larger society about social issues, harmonize social activists within the movement; inform internally to express or reinforce values and ideas; inform externally as a more effective way to communicate movement ideals to people outside the movement; enact movement goals directly historicize to invent, tell and retell the history of the movement; set a new emotional tone; critique movement ideology; and provide elements of pleasure and aesthetic joy. In the first part of this paper an examination of how the arts as cultural forms contribute specifically to contemporary social transformation will be discussed. In the second part of this paper an example of personal and social transformation will be illuminate these concepts.

Art and Social Change, 2007

PROCEEDINGS OF ICFSS

In this article, the relationship between politics and art is discussed, through a pertinent literature review. Functions of art are described and ways of promoting political ideas are delineated. Art has served regimes from the beginning of the existence of human societies and still does. It facilitates political discourse, but, it also provides us with new interpretations of reality, poses questions, judges and controverts governing ideas. Besides, art suggests solutions for present social troubles like environmental issues or refugee crisis. Art can serve propaganda or even bring communities together. Capitalistic oppression, colonization, human exploitation and expansive policy have been fought through art. Art inspires, leads, guides and supports every novel and radical movement worldwide. In this piece of writing, the contribution of art in political movements and revolutions of 20th and 21st centuries is analytically described. Options that refer to the frame of artistic creations and to the epoch they belong to are considered. Opinions of intellectuals are discussed and contradictions are depicted in order to shape an integrated view about the association among politics and art. Readers will gain knowledge of how to form a critical opinion and to avoid being only customers or consumers of art. But, we should also be co-formulators of social conditions, politics and our life in general, through the art, with the assistant of artists, and with the support of Official State.

Rhetoric, Social Value and the Arts, Palgrave McMillan, 2017

Modernism / Modernity (Print Plus), 2025

2021

Art is aesthetically pleasing to human's eyes, touching each heart, and interpreting by own understanding. Because art is usually for aesthetics, other artworks are not recognized as a change or as meaning for everyone. Art mirrors each image of society, art is for everyone, not just painting, but all kinds of art. And all artists have a responsibility in inspiring and waking people up on what is happening to the world. All artists should be activists. Art and Activism become Artivism. Making art or doing art to protest about rights and contributes to oppressed to be free. Spreading your art to be heard and to fight about political issues. This paper study explored and described Art and Activism, Artivism, through researching studies about Activism and Artivism. The researcher chose this topic because she conducted a research about Artivism a few years ago and wanted to see the changes happen after three years. Artivism as a practice for nonviolence protests.

Oxford Art Journal, 2016