A arte ativista de Daniel Arzola

Abstract

From the considerations on the poetic insurgencies of Mesquita (2008), this work seeks to distinguish the concepts and present possible roots of what has been called "activist art" or "artivism" in the series of posters entitled No Soy Tu Chiste by Daniel Arzola. Drawing on Napolitano (2011) studies of art and politics, the parallel I present is the comparison between "activist art", "engaged art" and "militant art". In order to clarify the boundaries of these concepts, in regard to counter-hegemonic narratives and socio-political engagement, I make a brief visit and exhibition of moments, movements, groups and artists that make up the history of 20th-century art. The final result of this "report" will be the grouping of inferences of the possible aesthetic and discursive heritage of the messages that propagate the series of fifty posters of the graphic campaign No Soy Tu Chiste, produced in the year 2013, and that had its "viralized" use of ICTs, becoming more important in digital social networks on the Internet. For this analysis, five posters of the campaign dealing with human rights were chosen as a bridge for reflection on some of the influences of contemporary artistic production in the political struggles involving the protests engendered by the LGBTQI+ community. The considerations that follow from the questioning to the discourses that establish asymmetric relations of power, approached by Joan Scott (1990), regarding the discussions on the body, gender, race/ethnicity and social class issues. Finally, this work suggests a promethean perspective and of combative action to the establishment by the artistic practices.