"There was no shortage of injustices in 2025. Refusing to be desensitized by the perpetual scroll of tragic images and news headlines, artists and creative activists mobilized their mediums in pursuit of change, sometimes risking their own lives and livelihoods. Below are 10 works that spoke truth to power in 2025, a decidedly non-comprehensive list of murals, protest actions, museum exhibitions, and other artistic gestures to carry us with intention and courage into the new year."
"The elusive street artist's characteristically stenciled image - which was quickly covered up by authorities - depicted a court judge beating a protester with his gavel. It was an uncompromising denunciation of the British government's ban on the activist group Palestine Action, which was designated a "terrorist" organization in July. Ironically, Banksy's image became all the more powerful after it was scrubbed from the wall, leaving a haunting silhouette that became a protest artwork in its own right."
Homes burned as fossil fuels fueled conflagrations; pro-Palestine protesters were jailed; migrants vanished from US streets; trans people faced persecution and denial of life-saving care; Indigenous rights came under threat. Artists and creative activists mobilized their mediums to call out injustices and expose wrongdoing, often risking their lives and livelihoods. A ten-item selection of works included public murals, protest actions, museum exhibitions, and other artistic gestures. Banksy stenciled a mural at the Royal Courts of Justice condemning the British government's ban on Palestine Action. Photojournalists captured an aerial SOS spelled by imprisoned migrants at the Bluebonnet Detention Facility. These artworks aimed to speak truth to power and advocate for change.
Read at Hyperallergic
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