Justice of Visual Art: Creative State-Building in Times of Political Transition

This study explores the connections between transitional justice and visual art to address violent and traumatic pasts, reconcile divided nations, and strengthen state institutions. Art can engage and shape ideas of justice,embed justice on different political levels, and become a radical form of political participation in times of transition.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 248 pages
\n Publication date: 08 April 2021
\n Publisher: Cambridge University Press
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After mass conflict, how can we address violent and traumatic pasts, reconcile divided nations, and strengthen state institutions? This study explores the connections between transitional justice and visual art to answer this question. Garnsey argues that art can engage and shape ideas of justice. Art can be an inquiry into and an alternative experience of justice. Art embeds justice on different political levels, both local and global. Art becomes a radical form of political participation in times of transition.

Arising out of extensive fieldwork at the Constitutional Court of South Africa and the South Africa Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, which included 130 interviews with key decision-makers, the book provides the first substantive theoretical framework for understanding transitional justice and visual art. It also develops novel conceptions of visual jurisprudence and cultural diplomacy as forms of transitional justice.

The study begins by examining the historical and cultural contexts of transitional justice in South Africa. It explores the legacies of apartheid, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the ongoing challenges of post-conflict reconciliation. The study then turns to the role of visual art in transitional justice. It examines how art can be used as a tool for healing, memory, and social change.

The study highlights the work of artists such as William Kentridge, whose installations and films explore the legacies of apartheid and the struggles for justice in South Africa. It also examines the role of visual art in promoting dialogue and understanding between different communities and groups.

The study argues that visual art can be a powerful tool for promoting transitional justice. It can help to heal the wounds of conflict, promote dialogue and understanding, andembed justice on different political levels. The study also suggests that visual art can be used as a form of cultural diplomacy, promoting social change and understanding across borders.

In conclusion, this study explores the connections between transitional justice and visual art. It argues that art can be a powerful tool for promoting justice, healing, and social change in the aftermath of mass conflict. The study provides a substantive theoretical framework for understanding transitional justice and visual art and develops novel conceptions of visual jurisprudence and cultural diplomacy as forms of transitional justice.

\n Weight: 438g\n
Dimension: 169 x 243 x 19 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781108714518\n \n