Art’s Opportunity to Change & Inspire Society Despite Election Result

Society needs inspiration. The United States presidential election had the world on the edge of its seat wondering if the world’s superpower would elect a billionaire businessman as president.

The results left a culture shocked as Donald Trump was elected president.

Trump inspired hatred in many groups of people, and his presidency will be filled with uncertainties for the world. The 45th president will change the world for better or worse, and one good thing that comes out of times of uncertainty is art.

Art Inspires Change

Art, often unappreciated in today’s world, is a cultural tool that helps express the compassion, fears, emotions and the essence of an era. Inspiration from a moving painting or sculpture has the power to change people for the better.

Shirin Neshat offers a unique view into the world of art.

She is an Iranian woman who lives in New York. Named Artist of the Decade, her works include: filmmaking, photography and art. What Neshat teaches us is that she lives in exile as an Iranian woman, and her life is defined by politics.

She states that she longs to be in Iran, but artists face political dangers and even death in their country.

“A speaker of the people” is how she describes herself.

Personal experiences helped shape her artistry, and the Islamic revolution of 1979 transformed the country. She didn’t recognize the country she returned to, and she captures the women and the political transformation through photographs and imagery.

“Woman without Men” is a film she created, and this film dictates the coup, led by the United States, that changed the democratic platform of Iran.

She shows that democracy existed in Iran, but it was stolen by America and Britain.

Her work shows that art, whether it’s a film or picture, can show the struggles of a country or world based on elections and political power.

Art is a form of escapism that, depending on the path Donald Trump takes, may be sparked through this year’s election. Art gives a voice to artists who have lost their voice due to the political atmosphere in their country.

The power of Poetry

Suheir Hammad demonstrates the art of poetry in a TED talk from 2010. Her talk starts with poetry that fits into the world’s political sphere.

“I will not dance to your war drum…I will not kill for you. Especially, I will not die for you.”

These words linger in society and empower blogs, those without voices and the people in a world where peace is scarce and war is abundant.

Hammad’s poetry is inspired through elections, such as the United States elections. Many never thought the election would result in a New York billionaire at the head of the world’s superpower and the results turned the political sphere upside down.

Art will inspire the society for the better, providing voices for the voiceless.