The Art of Activism Reader

A radical anthology shaking up the canon by bringing together perspectives on art and activism across eras and cultures.

Thinkers, activists, and artists have long grappled with definitions of art, the role of activism, and the relationship between the two—answers that shift across historical and cultural frameworks. This anthology challenges and expands the canon by deliberately juxtaposing radically different conceptions of art and activism, bringing together thinkers from different eras, cultures, and geographies.

Rather than including case studies or manifestos, the texts are organized thematically: Art Unsettles: Social Systems and Critique; Art Reveals: Making the Invisible Visible; Art Resists: Everyday Interventions; Art Acts: Activism as Art; Art (Re)Orders: Making Sense of the World; and Art Imagines: Envisioning New Worlds.

Through this thematic structure, the anthology seeks to expand and decenter traditional canons. Each thematic section opens with a brief essay by the editors framing the central conceptual debates, inviting readers to engage with the tensions and possibilities at the intersection of art and politics. Among the writers included are: Gloria Anzaldúa, John Berger, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Octavia Butler, John Dewey, W.E.B. Du Bois, Frantz Fanon, Safdar Hashmi, bell hooks, Juan López Intzín, Audre Lorde, Herbert Marcuse, Jacques Rancière, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o.