Art And Activism

Activism in art is nothing new, but a handful of exciting young female artists from the region are making a point of questioning the cultural and social status quo.

- Iain Akerman

I am completely drawn to the idea of activism in my work,” says photographer Ayla Hibri. “But the way I do it is indirect and on many different levels, not just political. My revolution is a slow, steady and subtle one.”

Ayla – Lebanese, forthright and articulate – is discussing the idea of activism in art. That form of political or social currency that questions or challenges cultural power structures.

“Photography for me is about empathy and awareness through actively looking and framing specific compositions,” she says. “Every photo I take asks a question. This is what drives me to push the trigger. When I share a photograph, I am also sharing my question, be it about beauty, emptiness, masculinity, femininity, the human condition, mother nature, cities, humour or politics.”

“The more questions we ask ourselves, the more visual data we have, the more open we are to different possibilities. It’s about looking at the world with grace, kindness and acceptance.”

It’s hard not to be an activist in the Middle East. Dispossession in Palestine, corruption and political dysfunction in Lebanon, war in Syria, oppression and misogyny in Egypt. The sources of discontent are endless. Particularly for women. In such environments art is often an expression of resilience and existence, a means of social and political critique. The level of that critique depends, of course, on an artist’s location.

Tania El Khoury, who lives and works in Beirut, has seen her live art described as ‘protest’ or ‘info-activism’, even if she doesn’t necessarily view it as that herself. She creates interactive installations and performances in which the audience becomes an active collaborator.