It was about a year since the coup d'état in Myanmar happened at the point of writing the first edition of the essay. It was a difficult piece to write as I had friends that were in Myanmar at that point as well, affected by the coup. Personally, I also was very moved by the stories of these political prisoners as I did my research and on a human point of view, it was difficult to remain objective. But here we are.
The main theme that I was exploring was how socially engaged art can be used in a manner that brings about change in through awareness. I argue that activism and art makes a better persuasion than activism alone. Below is an excerp of the essay.
Photo Credit: Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Introduction
"This essay seeks to investigate whether the sculpture and performance art piece “A Show of Hands” (2013 – present) by Burmese artist, Htein Lin has to identify what kind of impact such a work of art has on Burmese society in Myanmar. A summary of the political climate in Myanmar and a short history of the country’s fight for democracy will be expounded for context. There will also be descriptions of key national events paralleled with Htein Lin’s journey as an activist and artist.
Screen captures from the works’ video documentation will be accompanied by the articulation of the intent behind the piece. Key concepts by Pablo Helguera in the book ‘Education for Socially Engaged Art – A Material and Technique Handbook’ will used to evaluate Htein Lin’s piece. The analysis will be done based on theories and scholarly findings scholars such as Helguera and Grant Kester about socially engaged and activism art projects. To conclude, it will show if art activism in the context of Lin’s works against the backdrop of the Burmese authoritarian government can benefit his audiences and eventually result in a systemic change for a free and democratic Myanmar."
Please feel free to request for the full essay should you be interested to read more.
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