What is Art Activism? - Patti Fasani

 “The problem with art, from an artistic activist perspective, is that this power is often wasted. A painting hangs on the wall of a museum. It moves us. And then, all too often, we move on.”

“In order for the emotional affect of art to have political effect, art needs to be combined with activism.”

    This is why finding the intersection between art and activism is so important for any art that aims to accomplish material action in regards to political goals. Art, on its own, often isn’t enough to spark any long-term action. It needs to be engaging and involve the audience’s participation in some form to really be impactful, in the same way that activism is more effective when art is involved because it appeals to the human spirit.

What is art activism?

    Art activism is art that’s made to serve as a call to action to its viewers. The intention is to get across a certain message and for the viewers to be inspired to involve themselves with the message being advertised to them. It often shifts the viewer from a passive role into a more active one.

This illustration depicts an event that happened in Bogota, Columbia in 1995, where the mayor hired 420 mimes to direct traffic in an effort to reduce traffic congestion and fatal accidents. Because of this effort, traffic fatalities dropped by 50%. The performance art of dressing up as mimes effectively makes the art interactive which is one of the features of art activism, taking the observer out of a passive role and into an active one. In addition, it manages to not just move people in the moment but shift the culture to a degree, which is illustrated by a significant drop in traffic fatalities.