www.idosr.org Thomas ©IDOSR PUBLICATIONS International Digital Organization for Scientific Research ISSN: 2579-0765 IDOSR JOURNAL OF CURRENT ISSUES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES 6(1): 21-26, 2020.

Activism as a Platform for Modern Art

Marie-Pier Thomas

Department of Fine-Art University of Waterlo, Canada

Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT This article is on Activism as a platform for modern art. Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct, or intervene in social, political, economic, or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society. Forms of activism range from mandate building in the community (including writing letters to newspapers), petitioning elected officials, running or contributing to a political campaign, preferential patronage (or boycott) of businesses, and demonstrative forms of activism like rallies, street marches, strikes, sit-ins, or hunger strikes. Activists can function in a number of roles, including judicial, environmental, internet (technological) and design (art). Historically, most activism has focused on creating substantive changes in the policy or practice of a government or industry. Some activists try to persuade people to change their behavior directly (see also direct action), rather than to persuade governments to change laws. Current discussions about art are very much centered on the question of art activism that is, on the ability of art to function as an arena and medium for political protest and social activism. The phenomenon of art activism is central to our time because it is a new phenomenon quite different from the phenomenon of critical art that became familiar to us during recent decades. Art activists do not want to merely criticize the art system or the general political and social conditions under which this system functions. Rather, they want to change these conditions by means of art not so much inside the art system but outside it, in reality itself. Art activists try to change living conditions in economically underdeveloped areas, raise ecological concerns, offer access to culture and education for the populations of poor countries and regions, attract attention to the plight of illegal immigrants, improve the conditions of people working in art institutions, and so forth. After going through the process of writing this thesis, I don’t really feel that I know more about arts and activism than anybody else – at least in terms of having answers. Keywords: Activism, Platform, Modern, Art.

INTRODUCTION Activism consists of efforts to promote, Activism may be performed on a day-to- impede, direct, or intervene day basis in a wide variety of ways, in social, political, economic, including through the creation of art or environmental reform with the desire (artivism), computer hacking (hacktivism), to make changes in society. Forms of or simply in how one chooses to spend activism range from mandate building in their money (economic activism). For the community (including writing letters example, the refusal to buy clothes or to newspapers), petitioning elected other merchandise from a company as officials, running or contributing to a protest against the exploitation of a political campaign, preferential workers by that company could be patronage (or boycott) of businesses, and considered an expression of activism. demonstrative forms of activism However, the most highly visible and like rallies, street marches, strikes, sit-ins, impactful activism often comes in the or hunger strikes. form of collective action, in which

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www.idosr.org Thomas numerous individuals coordinate an act of accountable to oversight and protest together in order to make a bigger transparency. Activism involves an impact.[1] Collective action that is engaged citizenry. purposeful, organized, and sustained over Internet activism a period of time becomes known as Further information: Internet a social movement.[2] activism, Hacktivism, Online social Historically, activists have used literature, movement, Anonymous (group), Digital including pamphlets, tracts, and books to rights, Category: Internet activism, disseminate or propagate their messages and Activism in the tech industry and attempt to persuade their readers of The power of Internet activism came into the justice of their cause. Research has a global lens with the Arab now begun to explore how contemporary Spring protests starting in late 2010. activist groups use social media to People living in the Middle East and North facilitate civic engagement and collective African countries that were experiencing action combining politics with revolutions used social networking to technology. communicate information about protests, Types of activism including videos recorded on smart Activists can function in a number of phones, which put the issues in front of roles, including judicial, environmental, an international audience. This was the internet (technological) and design (art). one of the first occasions in which social Historically, most activism has focused on networking technology was used by creating substantive changes in the policy citizen-activists to circumvent state- or practice of a government or industry. controlled media and communicate Some activists try to persuade people to directly with the rest of the world. These change their behavior directly (see types of practices of Internet activism also direct action), rather than to were later picked up and used by other persuade governments to change laws. activists in subsequent mass For example, the cooperative mobilizations, such as the 15-M movement seeks to build new institutions Movement in Spain in 2011, Occupy which conform to cooperative principles, Gezi in Turkey in 2013, and more [4] [5] and generally does not lobby or protest [6] politically. Other activists try to persuade Internet activism may also refer to people or government policy to remain activism which focuses on protecting or the same, in an effort to counter change. changing the Internet itself, also known Activism is not an activity always as digital rights. The Digital Rights performed by those who profess activism movement consists of activists and as a profession [3]. The term ″activist″ organizations, such as the Electronic may apply broadly to anyone who Frontier Foundation, who work to protect engages in activism, or narrowly limited the rights of people in relation to new to those who choose political or social technologies, particularly concerning the activism as a vocation or characteristic Internet and other information and practice. communications technologies. Judicial and citizen activism Activism in literature Judicial activism involves the efforts of Activism in literature (not to be confused public officials. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. - with literary activism) includes the American historian, public intellectual, expression of intended or advocated and social critic - introduced the term reforms, realized or unachieved, through "judicial activism" in a January published, written or verbally promoted 1946 Fortune magazine article titled "The or communicated forms. Supreme Court: 1947". Activists can also Economic activism be public watchdogs and whistle blowers, Economic activism involves using the attempting to understand all the actions economic power of government, of every form of government that acts in consumers, and businesses for social and the name of the people and hold it economic policy change. Both

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www.idosr.org Thomas conservative and liberal groups use financial (disinvestment from particular economic activism to as a form of countries, adoption of environmentally pressure to influence companies and friendly policies, etc). organizations to oppose or support Visual Activism particular political, religious, or social Design Activism locates design at the values and behaviors [7]. This is typically center of promoting social change, raising done either through awareness on social/political issues, or preferential patronage to reinforce "good" questioning problems associated with behavior and support companies one mass production and consumerism. would like to succeed, or Design Activism is not limited to one type through boycott or divestment to penalize of design. Art Activism "bad" behavior and pressure companies to or Artivism utilizes the medium of visual change or go out of business [8]. art as a method of social or political Brand activism is the type of activism in commentary. which business plays a leading role in the Fashion activism was coined by [12] processes of social change [9]. Applying [13]. Fashion activism is a type of brand activism, businesses show concern activism that ignites awareness by giving for the communities they serve, and their consumers tools to support change, economic, social, and environmental specifically in the fashion industry. It has problems, which allows businesses to been used as an umbrella term for many build sustainable and long-term social and political movements that have relationships with the customers and taken place in the industry. Fashion prospects. Kotler and Sarkar defined the Activism uses a participatory approach to phenomenon as an attempt by firms to a political activity. solve the global problems its future Craft activism or Craftivism is a type of customers and employees care about.[10] visual activism that allows people to bring Consumer activism consists of activism awareness to political or social discourse. carried out on behalf It is a creative approach to activism as it of consumers for consumer protection or allows people to send short and clear by consumers themselves [11]. For messages to society. People who instance, activists in the free produce contribute to craftivism are called movement of the late 1700s protested “craftivists”. against slavery by boycotting goods Science activism produced with slave labor. While scientists have been traditionally Today, vegetarianism, veganism, less likely to be politically active as and freeganism are all forms of consumer scientists yet aware of the need to activism which boycott certain types of better communicate the benefits of products. Other examples of consumer science, perception of increased activism include simple living, a politicized discrediting of science has minimalist lifestyle intended to motivated some scientists and science reduce materialism and conspicuous advocates to embrace an activist consumption, and tax resistance, a form approach, such as that demonstrated in of direct action and civil disobedience in the March for Science. Some see activism opposition to the government that is as a way to get "out of the lab" and imposing the tax, to government policy, enhance communication or as opposition to taxation in itself. efforts. Approaches to science activism Shareholder vary from more aggressive protests to activism involves shareholders using suggestions that such activism should an equity stake in a corporation to put also include a more psychological, pressure on its management. The goals of marketing-oriented component that takes activist shareholders range from financial into account such factors as individual (increase of shareholder value through sense of self, aversion to solutions to changes in corporate policy, financing problems, and social perceptions [14] structure, cost cutting, etc.) to non-

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www.idosr.org Thomas On Art Activism criticism is, actually, easy to reject. In the Current discussions about art are very twentieth century, all criteria of quality much centered on the question of art and taste were abolished by different activism that is, on the ability of art to artistic avant-gardes so, today, it makes function as an arena and medium for no sense to appeal to them again. political protest and social activism. The However, criticism from the other side is phenomenon of art activism is central to much more serious and demands an our time because it is a new phenomenon elaborate critical answer [18]. This quite different from the phenomenon of criticism mainly operates according to critical art that became familiar to us notions of “aestheticization” and during recent decades [15] [16]. Art “spectacularity.” A certain intellectual activists do not want to merely criticize tradition rooted in the writings of Walter the art system or the general political and Benjamin and Guy Debord states that the social conditions under which this system aestheticization and spectacularization of functions. Rather, they want to change politics, including political protest, are these conditions by means of art not so bad things because they divert attention much inside the art system but outside it, away from the practical goals of political in reality itself. Art activists try to change protest and towards its aesthetic form. living conditions in economically And this means that art cannot be used as underdeveloped areas, raise ecological a medium of a genuine political protest concerns, offer access to culture and because the use of art for political action education for the populations of poor necessarily aestheticizes this action, countries and regions, attract attention to turns this action into a spectacle and, the plight of illegal immigrants, improve thus, neutralizes the practical effect of the conditions of people working in art this action. As an example, it is enough to institutions, and so forth. In other words, remember the recent Berlin Biennale art activists react to the increasing curated by Artur Żmijewski and the collapse of the modern social state and criticism it provoked described as it was try to replace the social state and the by different ideological sides as a zoo for NGOs that for different reasons cannot or art activists [19]. will not fulfill their role. Art activists do In other words, the art component of art want to be useful, to change the world, to activism is often seen as the main reason make the world a better place but at the why this activism fails on the pragmatic, same time, they do not want to cease practical level on the level of its being artists. And this is the point where immediate social and political impact. In theoretical, political, and even purely our society, art is traditionally seen as practical problems arise [17]. useless. So it seems that this quasi- Art activism’s attempts to combine art ontological uselessness infects art and social action come under attack from activism and dooms it to failure. At the both of these opposite perspectives same time, art is seen as ultimately traditionally artistic and traditionally celebrating and aestheticizing the status activist ones. Traditional artistic criticism quo and thus undermining our will to operates according to the notion of change it. So the way out of this situation artistic quality. From this point of view, is seen mostly in the abandoning of art art activism seems to be artistically not altogether as if social and political good enough: many critics say that the activism never fails as long as it is not morally good intentions of art activism infected by art viruses [20]. substitute for artistic quality. This kind of CONCLUSION After going through the process of writing out of this project with more questions this thesis, I don’t really feel that I know than I started with. This is not a bad more about arts and activism than thing; it’s often how things seem to go in anybody else – at least in terms of having the field of art. What I gained from this answers. Rather, I feel like I am coming project was knowledge of a lot of

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www.idosr.org Thomas resources – writings from artists and environmental activism into my studio critics, relevant articles and books, practice by striving to use as eco-friendly interesting organizations, and grant materials as possible, a challenging foundations. I also got the experience of commitment that means the vast majority communicating with all different kinds of of commercially-produced art supplies artists, and collected a substantial are off limits. I am still in the process of amount of primary research in the form trying different things, but so far it has of the interviews. One of the main things I been immensely rewarding to have a noticed in the process of conducting the cleaner conscience about my craft. In interviews was that there are a variety of terms of my own personal activism, I have approaches to making socially conscious realized that my area of contribution is in art, and that different artists conceive visual culture, and knowing this has their work in very different ways that relieved me of feeling obligated to sometimes contradict each other. Each perform other activist rituals that were artist is coming from a different set of sucking life out of me. Because of having experiences, and each of their views is developed a network with activist artists based on what they have found to make all over the country and world, I am now sense according to those experiences. It is able to facilitate cultural exchange in the interesting to see how people who may be areas of art, activism, and visual culture in close sympathy in terms of their social (however loosely or distinctly one may and political views and their field of work want to draw those lines). For instance, can arrive at such different conclusions this semester I was able to help facilitate about how to work based on where they two groups, the Beehive Design Collective are coming from. The experience of and Bread & Puppet, to visit my local interning at Art for Humanity in South community. Neither of these groups had Africa was another thing I gained been to Bowling Green before, and both immensely from. While I do not refer to it events were pretty unique for a lot of the explicitly in my thesis writing, many of people here to be exposed to. In the the ideas that I discuss were formulated, future, I hope I can continue to facilitate challenged, and developed during the more events of this nature. Having one time that I was working there. Aside from foot in the fine art world and the other providing lots of good food for thought foot in the grassroots activism world about human rights, art, expression, means that as time goes on I can empowerment, democracy, and global hopefully be of service in helping make culture, it also gave me practical firsthand connections between the two, and experience in organizing art projects on facilitate exchange between people on the an international scale, as well as grant frontlines of justice movements and writing for 80 non-profits. These are people on the frontlines of fine art and important skills that I hope will become cultural production, since both things are of service in exciting future projects. In so crucial and close to my own heart. terms of my own art, I have been bringing REFERENCES 1. Campbell, Troy H. (2019). "Team 3. Craftivism : the art of craft and Science: Building Better Science activism. Greer, Betsy. Vancouver. Activists with Insights from 21 April 2014. Disney, Marketing, and 4. Daie, Jaleh (1996). "The Activist Psychological Research". Skeptical Scientist". Science. 272 (5265): Inquirer. Vol. 43 no. 4. Center for 1081. Inquiry. pp. 34–39. Retrieved 10 5. Fashion Activism: Changing the November 2019. World One Trend at a Time | 2. Corbett, Sarah; Housely, Sarah Peacock Plume". peacockplume.fr. (2011). "The Craftivist Collective Retrieved 24 April 2020. Guide to Craftivism". Utopian 6. Hector, Postigo (2012). The digital Studies. 22. rights movement : the role of

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