Introduction: On “Artivism,” or Art’s Utility in Activism

Art has the ability to change our minds—inspiring us to take on different perspectives and to reimagine our worlds. If we can agree that art’s ability to change the individual psyche is profound and undeniable, why have we activists, who are in the business of changing the collective mind, shied away from employing art directly? We favor instead the prosaic tools of letters, press releases, and petitions. Yet as Stephen Duncombe and Ricardo Dominguez's papers in this issue illustrate, artists with activist aims, like activists, are obliged to examine the efficacy of their work in inspiring the change they imagine.