ACTS OF RESISTANCE

Delving into political art across genres, places, and periods.

People have been making art since they lived in caves, but the reason why has always been hard to pin down. To Massie-Blomfield, a writer and theater director, art is a crucial part of political action, and in the essays of Acts of Resistance she pulls together a number of examples. She covers some notable cases, from Susan Sontag producing Waiting for Godot in war-torn Sarejevo to authors exposing oil pollution in Nigeria. She also documents alternative communities that have sprung up at protest sites, and she is particularly impressed by the ZAD community established to prevent the building of a new airport in France (ZAD stands for Zone à Défendre, or Zone to Defend). Some readers might find the author’s occasional drumbeating, sensationalist style to be wearisome. Massie-Blomfield maintains that the sense of hope inherent in producing resistance art is necessary for continued human existence, and readers who agree with that sentiment will like this book. Others might find that Acts of Resistance raises more questions than it can answer.

Interesting cases of resistance art, sometimes hindered by ideological views.