Anthropology Beyond Itself?

Abstract

Since the late nineties, many artistic collectives inBarcelona and Spain in general have defined their practice in terms of active political intervention,
in what some have defined as Artivism. Originally related to the anti-globalisation movement, this active involvement in politics involved the participation and organisation of demonstrations. Some critics of
‘artivist’ practices dismissed them as achieving the opposite effect from what they intended – instead of making these demonstrations more effective, they turned them into ‘works of art’, ‘performances’
without effect. One of the things the article discusses is this dismissive understanding of ‘performance’ as something ineffectual and anti-political. The author argues that this situation has changed substantially in recent years, as these artivist movements have become engaged in larger social movements. He addresses this question by looking at the different forms in which these ‘performances’ have been integrated into political
movements, from the ‘artmanis’ organised within the anti-globalisation movement, to the organization of the 15-M square occupations in 2011, to the more recent ‘Escraches’, or public acts of accusation to politicians organised by the PAH (Platform of Mortgage Victims).