Anti-War Actionism (Art-Actionism): Features, Forms, and Evaluation of Possibilities

Abstract

In the article, the author elucidates the features of the postmodern approach to asserting the value of peace using the techniques of actionism (performance, happening, art installation, flash mob, etc.). Anti-war actionism is considered as an element of the system of sociopolitical actionism. A set of spectacular forms of non-violent public protest against armed aggression and its consequences are analyzed. The fact that today’s anti-war actionism has gone beyond the narrow artistic environment and entered the broad social dimension is proved. The empirical basis for the conceptualization of anti-war actionism includes two groups of actions: (1) anti-war actions carried out since the 1960s in the United States and Western Europe; 2) anti-war actions carried out in various countries in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The author argues that anti-war actionism corresponds to its nature and purpose only if those who initiate and conduct actions are participant types of political culture. In other cases, only external form will be borrowed from actionism, but not content (pseudo-actionism). The symbolic language of anti-war actionism, which is based on objects, images related to the nature of war and its consequences, is investigated. The structure of anti-war actionism is determined: 1) professional actions of representatives of the artistic environment, which are elaborated in terms of artistic characteristics; 2) actions of public activists who use avant-garde artistic tools at the amateur level to organize and hold actions. The advantages and disadvantages of anti-war actionism as a technology of peace building are identified. The functions of anti-war actionism are determined.