Nineteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Borrowing from Paulo Freire’s theoretical work in liberatory education, my study shows that there is no such thing as neutral art. Art can either function as an instrument to assimilate people into the current logic of the dominant culture that supports capitalism and normalization of violence (representation)…or it can function to educate persons in bringing about the transformation of this static society into one that is vibrant, inclusive, and democratic (re-presentation) through creativity that underpins all artwork. I ntegrate the ideas of Sartre, Fanon, Duchamp, Magritte, and Ajami, to name a few, in supporting my claims and tie it all together with the concept of Arirang (a unique Korean thought) in proposing how art can lay the foundation for a liberatory society that reflects a radical multicultural patchwork (quilt) that represents not naïve inclusion but anti-exclusionary vision locally and globally.