The art sphere has long been a place of activism and a tool to address systemic inequality. Though the medium may vary, artists have found innovative ways to challenge how we perceive as well as narrate the world through art. Contemporary Heroine Nobukho Nquaba combines performance and self-portraiture to address the marginalisation of the working classes in South African society. Nobukho’s work showcases that art can reflect the very nature of society by the way it carries rich information about the people and cultures who make it. All the while, art itself can carry its own form of agency by subverting dominant and oppressive narratives that exist in particular contexts and throughout the world. In a ‘two-minute blog post’, artist and LGBTQI activist Del LaGrace Volcano shows us the importance of drawing from your lived experience to inform your practise. From the work of Nobukho, Del LaGrace, and other artists in this Voyage of Discovery, we can see that by shedding light on untold stories and perspectives we ensure that culture is a story of everyone, as opposed to a story of power. With that in mind, these works have been selected to highlight issues of inequality which transcend borders, whilst also delving into artistic responses to local manifestations of injustice.
By Sena Nwosu
Follow Send Nwosu’s Voyage of Discovery : Art As Activism – Click on the buttons to navigate
- SN 1 – Contemporary Heroine : Nobukho Nqaba
- SN 2 – Article / Feature : Del LaGrace Volcano in Two Minutes
- SN 3 – Article / Feature : Breaking Boundaries Rena Effendi
- SN 4 – Article / Feature : Daesha Devón Harris
- SN 5 – Film : Guerrilla Girls
- SN 6 – Podcast : Voices Indrė Šerpytytė
Inspired by the UN Sustainable Goal #10 Reduced Inequalities
