Art as Pedagogy. Art as Resistance. Art as Negotiation. Art as Repair.
Digital spaces are increasingly shaping human interactions and changing how real world political spaces are reproduced. In a digital age, creative art in digital spaces can be disruptive, pedagogical and dialectical. Using art in digital spaces for civic and political purposes as an informal engagement has received widespread attention. Accessible digital spaces that accommodate such art, as a social commentary, are increasingly positioning themselves as catalysts for social and political change. This creative corner presented by Muragala | Centre for Progressive Politics and Policy (CPPP) will function as a space that invites submissions from creative local political and social expressions, thus enabling artivism.
The main objectives of this initiative are to create a digital space that fosters civic engagement and inclusion through art and creative expression, and to explore how effectively such expressions can generate bottom-up political energy. It also aims to assess the potential of artistic mediums to serve as powerful vectors for political thought and action.
We are seeking original artistic work that makes incisive political commentary on contemporary Sri Lanka, across all languages and mediums. This initiative invites bold, critical, and thought-provoking expressions that confront social and political realities, highlighting inequalities and solidarity at the intersection of various social groups and histories. We are looking for art that does not shy away from complexity, but gives voice to the silenced and questions the status quo. These can include:
- Literary Art
- Short Stories (500 words maximum)
- Poems
- Zines
- Comics (6-9 panels) – either six‐ or nine‐panel comics.
- Photo essays/Graphic essays
- Drawings/Paintings
- Memes
- Conceptual photos
- Video Essays (60 seconds-similar to reels, shorts)
- Collages
- Remaking of art/Adaptations of Art/Cross-Cultural Translations of Art
- Collaborative Art: Image Provocation and interactive art