Art Activism on the Invisible

In this talk, André Mesquita will share insights on his research into the articulations between contemporary art practice and political activism.

In different situations and social contexts, these practices shed light on issues such as state violence, as well as invisible geographies and the occupation of public spaces. André will approach the diversity of activist art tactics from an “extradisciplinary” point of view: that is, broaching how such actions cut across multiple fields of knowledge, activating new forms of doing, conceptual tools, and proposals, which are embedded in daily life, such as creative modes of protest, critical cartographies, urban interventions, among others.

Taking as his point of departure the notion of the “public secret”, André will talk about actions by artists and social movements that work to make visible forgotten stories and to expose structures of control and power networks.

André Mesquita conducts research on the articulations between art, politics, and activism. Based in São Paulo, he is the author of numerous publications and is currently investigating the theme of secrecy and its relationships with contemporary societies and artistic practices.