Forces of Art

How can art weave meaningful connections between different people, their surroundings, and social systems? What does art mean in a specific community? How can art contribute to the advancement of civil society? Intricate questions that are being addressed in Forces of Art. This book looks at how artists, artworks and cultural organizations affect people and their social environments, and explores how cases of creative practice have been operational in empowering people, communities, and societies in majority world countries. Case studies from all over the world, from Central Asia to Mesoamerica and Latin America, from Africa to Central Europe, from South and Southeast Asia to the Middle East, show how art can have an effect. The myriad voices challenge the reader to think beyond art as representation, as merely aesthetical, or as simply an object or commodity. Instead, it stirs thinking of art in terms of a force that has the ability to transform. Editors Carin Kuoni Jordi Baltà Portoles Nora N. Khan Serubiri Moses Contributors Mariam Abou Ghazi, Kobina Ankomah-Graham, Jordi Baltà Portolés, Ilka Eickhof, Fernando Escobar Neira, Fatin Farhat, Maya Indira Ganesh, Rocca Holly-Nambi, Miranda Jeanne Marie Iossifidis, Nuraini Juliastuti, Nora N. Kahn, Višnja Kisić, Diana T. Kudaibergenova, Carin Kuoni, Kabelo Malatsie, Jenny Mbaye, Zayd Minty, Nadia Moreno Moya, Serubiri Moses, Judith Naeff, Laura Nkula-Wenz, Joseph Oduro-Frimpong, Arnout van Ree, Naomi Roux, Vaughn Sadie, Anna Selmeczi, Nishant Shah, Rike Sitas, Lenneke Sipkes, Cristiana Strava, Goran Tomka, Kasper Tromp, Minna Valjakka, Paulina E. Varas, Mark R. Westmoreland, Kitty Zijlmans