Art as intervention: Protests on urban transformation in China and Australia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Participation in public space is widely recognized as a means for deepening social inclusion. Recent developments in urban participation have seen an intertwining relationship between art, technology, and activism. This article presents a comparative study of two protests regarding the transformation of two public spaces: Donghu in Wuhan, China, and Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia. We aim to compare and contrast how art functions in the processes and results of the protests in each country’s socio-political contexts. Both possessing artistic and activist components, the Donghu protest played out as a disguised form of occupation that failed eventually. The case of Federation Square engaged with both artist activism and direct political engagement that ended in triumph for the activists. In both cases, art was mobilized to mediate a broader range of communications and prompt social change. The latter case took a relatively elitist approach than the former by relying on informed activists and working within a liberal democratic framework. Nonetheless, both protests showcase public agency and subjectivity despite different socio-political contexts. This paper argues that analyzing the role of art in urban protests can provide new insights into the esthetic modes of resistance in conflicts over the transformation of urban space.