Photo by Isadora Canela
Climate change, genocide, gender inequalities... In a world of uncertainties, what is the role of the arts and artists? There are many answers, many approaches, many people, and many pieces, as it should be, but one thing echoes through them all: crafting a better future is a collective creative process.
From 5 to 8 September 2024, South Africa hosted the First Global Artivism Conference in Pretoria (Link). The event, organized in partnership with the Community of Arts Network, brought together more than 150 people from diverse nationalities and fields, placing arts and culture at the forefront of what the presenter and artivist Favianna Rodriguez called "the battle for the imaginary."
Avi Sooful presenting at the conference (Photo by Isadora Canela)
Between lectures and exhibitions, EVC's team of collaborators engaged a vivid audience with talks and workshops. Avi Sooful spoke on the images of African feminism in a deep and sensitive session, bridging affection and art to foster intergenerational dialogue, both within and beyond the academic context.
Shifting knowledge production was also a key theme in Isadora Canela’s lecture, where she presented the social/artistic experiment of the Common Ground Residency, which aims to decolonize imagination.
Isadora Canela presenting at the conference (Photo by Isadora Canela)
The encounter itself was transformative. As we know from EVC's experiences, learning from one another and bridging cultures and people holds immense potential for creativity and the disruption of dehumanising narratives. We look into each other's eyes, share stories, and find ourselves touched and brought closer by what distance might otherwise cast as "the other," allowing oppression and exploitation. Art has the power to reach the heart and soul, connecting us on another level of human experience, beyond physical borders.
The conference featured Palestinian artists like the young musician Konstancy, who, through his art, shared the experience of living, loving, and creating amid genocide. On the other side of the world, from the Pacific Islands, the band "One World" brought an unexpected sense of closeness. EVC member Isadora Canela: “As a Brazilian, their context is distant and unfamiliar to me, but the moment they started playing and speaking about how climate change is threatening their lives and environment, I felt our proximity. Each chord evoked a different memory – of my mountains and my country, both ravaged by fire. Floods and fires.”
The exhibition on gender violence revealed the diverse struggles faced by women. Every culture has its own fight, but we are all united in our pursuit of equality and safety. Behind the numbers, there are stories; behind the art and images, there are feelings and people. Even in this time of extreme uncertainty, we can come together, imagine together, and find strength in this "one planet" we all share.
Isadora Canela