Artivism: the battle for museums in the era of postmodernism

Recorded at the Battle of Ideas festival 2022 on Sunday 16 October at Church House, Westminster.

ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION

From Banksy to Extinction Rebellion, artivism (activism through art) is the art of our era. From international biennale to newspaper pages, artivism is everywhere. Both inside museums and on the streets, global artivism spreads political messages and raises social issues, capturing attention with shocking protests and weird stunts.

The inclusion of political messages in works of art is nothing new – Picasso’s 1937 work Guernica is both aesthetically daring and politically loaded with anti-war messaging. Neither is it novel for art to become part of political campaigns – from Emory Douglas’ prints used by the Black Panther movement to Alberto Korda’s photo of Che Guevara adorning every rebellious teen’s bedroom wall. But a more contemporary artivism – explicit use of artistic mediums for political protest, like feminist works by Guerrilla Girls or indeed the destruction of art by Just Stop Oil protesters in museums – raises a new set of questions.

Is this fusion of art and activism all it seems? Are artivist messages as subversive and anti-authoritarian we assume they are? How has the art trade commodified protest and how have activists parasitised art venues? And is artivism actually an arm of the establishment?

Using artist statements, theoretical writings, statistical data, historical analysis and insider testimony, British art critic Alexander Adams examines the origins, aims and spread of artivism in his latest book, Artivism: the battle for museums in the era of postmodernism. In it, he argues that there are troubling ethical infractions within public organisations, and a culture of complacent self-congratulation in the arts. His findings suggest the perception of artivism – the most influential art practice of the 21st century – as a grassroots humanitarian movement could not be more misleading.

Join Alexander and art critic JJ Charlesworth for this lunchtime discussion about artivism and the future of the art world.

SPEAKERS
Alexander Adams
artist, writer and art critic; author, Culture War and Artivism: the battle for museums in the era of postmodernism

CHAIR
JJ Charlesworth
art critic; editor, ArtReview