Art and Activism: Museums as Agents of Social Change

Suzanne Lacy’s The Circle and the Square (2016) at the Tate Modern exemplifies a shift in museum engagement. This piece served as a forum for discussions and performances, showcasing activism potential.

Cultural institutions are increasingly seen as spaces that shape society. Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., asserts, “Museums must see themselves as part of the civic fabric. Neutrality is no longer an option.” This statement underscores the pressure on institutions to address issues like racial equity and climate change.

While museum activism is not new, it has gained visibility in the last decade. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) proposed redefining museums during its 2019 General Conference in Kyoto as “inclusive and polyphonic spaces for critical dialogue about the pasts and the futures.” This proposal framed the conversation around museums’ social responsibilities and will influence its 44,000 global members.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) launched its Civic Engagement Initiative in 2020, embedding activism into programming. Its Envisioning Justice exhibition (2022) explored systemic inequities in the criminal justice system, pairing works by artists like Channing Martinez with workshops for underserved communities. “Art has always been political,” Martinez stated, “but museums are finally catching up.”

Resistance exists. Trustees often hesitate to alienate donors, and exhibitions on contentious issues risk accusations of partisanship. Critics have pointed to the political economies behind high-profile installations. For example, the Whitney Museum’s 2019 Biennial faced backlash when it was revealed that vice-chair Warren Kanders profited from tear gas sales used against protestors at the US-Mexico border. Artists like Korakrit Arunanondchai withdrew their contributions in protest, exposing contradictions between institutional ethics and financial structures.

Some institutions have embraced transparency regarding their complicity. The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam’s Slavery exhibition (2021) interrogated the institution’s colonial benefactors, featuring objects like chains from Suriname and family portraits of Dutch enslavers. This exhibition attracted 212,000 visitors over six months, surpassing projections.

The shift toward community-first museum programming has been influenced by external movements. Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020 renewed scrutiny of institutional hierarchies. Major players like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum announced diversity audits and acquisitions addressing racial justice. Yet skeptics, including Dr. Jessa Crispin, warn that these measures risk being performative. “A museum that decolonizes its collection but retains a board of predominantly white elites hasn’t decolonized anything at all,” she argues.

The question of decolonization extends beyond Western institutions. The Edo Museum of West African Art, set to open in 2025 in Nigeria, aims to repatriate Benin Bronzes looted during British colonial expeditions. Abba Isa Tijani, director of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, emphasizes that repatriation is “only the first step. The real work is re-contextualizing these objects for future generations.”

Digital platforms have amplified museums’ activist roles, especially during Covid-19 closures. Campaigns like the American Alliance of Museums’ #MuseumsAreNotNeutral spotlight institutional shortcomings while highlighting grassroots projects. The Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid hosts ongoing online discussions under the hashtag #SomosRefugio, inviting public input on migration and displacement.

Activism demands sustained commitment. Critics are observing which institutions implement lasting changes. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino, scheduled for completion in 2028, will serve as a test case. Will it prompt deeper structural reforms across the Smithsonian network?

To fulfill their activist potential, museums must amplify marginalized voices without co-opting them and leverage institutional authority without replicating power imbalances. This challenge will define their evolution over the coming decades. As Feldman notes, “Museums don’t exist in a vacuum. Our relevance depends on our willingness to engage and adapt.”