Art and Solidarity Reader

Solidarity has re-entered the global zeitgeist with resounding force in the last decade, driving new thinking to counter the systemic failures and abuses of our society. The Art and Solidarity Reader considers the agency artists, collectives, and art institutions have in building the radical visions of care and solidarity needed to transform the conditions of our collective existence.

Presenting new and historical material, the Reader narrates various micro-histories of artistic solidarity globally from the 1970s to today, in relation to the multiple crises of migration, neo-colonialism, rising radicalization, inter-religious conflicts, class divisions, new technology, heteronormativity, and the environment. It emphasizes the centrality of artist-led empathy and personal connectivity in building networks of solidarity and concrete actions that generate profound transformation in society.

Whilst addressing the relevance of the Non-Aligned Movement of the Cold War in generating new forms of artistic solidarity globally, the Reader points towards its successors and, significantly, centers Indigenous perspectives rarely considered when discussing the history of artistic solidarity.