Body Politics: Art, Protest and the State brings together 50 years of performance and protest actions by artists confronting government power, law enforcement and state control. Featuring the work of more than twenty artists and collectives from around the world through video documentation, installations, photography and archival materials, this exhibition highlights the enduring power of performance as a tool for resistance, remembrance and political engagement.


Artists featured in the exhibition have faced censorship, harassment, reprisals, arrest or imprisonment as a result of their work, including the widely publicized detentions of Pussy Riot in Russia and Ai Weiwei in China. The exhibition also introduces artists who remain largely unknown in North America, yet whose practices have played an important role in the history of performance art in their countries, among them Seelan Palay in Singapore, Jelili Atiku in Nigeria and Crack Rodriguez in El Salvador. Addressing subjects ranging from Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians to the remembrance of the Tiananmen Square massacre in China, the works presented span a broad spectrum of themes, with an emphasis on human rights, social justice and environmental protection. Across these different histories and political contexts, the exhibition traces the many forms artistic resistance has taken, from provocative individual actions to collective movements and public protest.

Learn more about Body Politics: Art Protest and the State at saw-centre.com