Data Visualization of Artists’ Responses to Violence Against Women: Art Activism for Pedagogy

Abstract

Abstract Addressing the need to confront violence against women (VAW) within educational contexts, this article explores how data visualization can be used to understand entanglements of VAW across geographies, culture, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and political histories. Through the examination of art activism that emerges within digital places such as social media platforms, this research queries how art manifests within transnational online environments to highlight unique nuances of place and identity. Emphasizing the critical ability of the arts to provide voice to confront difficult subject matter, this publication focuses on five of the 24 global artists who participated in the study, who explore the theme of “silence” in their art works. Through a publicly accessible interactive map and website, including curricular resources, this research provides a model for confronting challenging and traumatic topics within art pedagogy through coalition building, creating awareness, and empowering individuals to transform society.