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South-to-South dialogues between Brazilian and Kenyan artivists: decolonial and intersectional feminist perspectives

A Research Paper by Andrea Medrado, Isabella Rega and Monique Paulla, published by Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology and Society

In this article, we analyze experiences in which Brazilian and Kenyan artivists (artists who are activists) used animation to challenge colonial hierarchies that devalue Global Southern knowledges, histories, and stories. We draw from ethnographic observations, in-depth interviews, and artivists’ experiences in two animation workshops: (a) Portrait of Marielle, produced with Kenyan artivists in Nairobi; (b) Homage to Wangarĩ Maathai, produced with Brazilian artivists in Salvador. We ask: how can artivist creative practices be used as tools for global movement building, contesting the colonial legacy of fragmented relationships between Global South peoples? We evoke decolonial and standpoint intersectional feminist perspectives to propose an understanding of artivism that considers the specificities of Global South contexts, connecting it to two axes: (a) establishing dialogical spaces and (b) mobilizing memories and histories. Our understanding of South-to-South artivist dialogues results from the ways in which notions of “pluriversality,” “incompleteness” and “humility,” which stem from Latin American and African scholarship are intertwined. When marginalized groups exchange “situated knowledges” and express themselves through artivism from “intersectional standpoints” or “lugares de fala,” this can have a binding nature, creating transformative connections between Global South peoples.

 

RESUMO

Neste artigo, analisamos experiências de artivistas (artistas que são ativistas) brasileiros e quenianos que utilizaram a linguagem da animação para desafiar hierarquias coloniais que desvalorizam saberes, histórias pessoais e histórias do Sul Global. Nossa abordagem metodológica toma como base observações etnográficas, entrevistas em profundidade e experiências de artivistas em duas oficinas de animação: (a) Retrato de Marielle, produzido com artivistas quenianos em Nairobi; (b) Homenagem a Wangarĩ Maathai, produzida com artivistas brasileiros em Salvador. Um de nossos principais questionamentos é: como práticas criativas artivistas podem ser usadas como ferramentas para a construção de movimentos globais, contestando o legado colonial de relações fragmentadas entre os povos do Sul Global? Evocamos perspectivas feministas decoloniais e interseccionais para propor uma compreensão do artivismo que considere as especificidades dos contextos do Sul Global, conectando-o a dois eixos: (a) estabelecer espaços dialógicos e (b) mobilizar memórias e histórias. Nossa compreensão dos diálogos artivistas Sul-Sul resulta de um entrelace entre as noções de “pluriversalidade,” “incompletude” e “humildade,” provenientes de estudos latino-americanos e africanos. Quando grupos marginalizados trocam “saberes situados“ e se expressam por meio do artivismo, a partir de “pontos de vista interseccionais” ou “lugares de fala,” isso pode ter um caráter vinculante, criando conexões transformadoras entre os povos do Sul Global.

 

RESUMEN

En este artículo analizamos experiencias en las que “artivistas” (activistas-artistas) brasileras y kenianas utilizaron la animación digital para desafiar las jerarquías coloniales que devalúan los conocimientos, las historias y los cuentos del Sur Global. Nos basamos en observaciones etnográficas, entrevistas profundas cualitativas y experiencias de “artivistas” en dos talleres de animación: (a) Retrato de Marielle, producido con “artivistas” de Kenia en Nairobi; (b) Homenaje a Wangarĩ Maathai, producido con “artivistas” brasileras en Salvador. Nos preguntamos: ¿cómo se pueden utilizar las prácticas creativas “artivistas” como herramientas para la construcción de un movimiento global, cuestionando el legado colonial de relaciones fragmentadas entre los pueblos del Sur Global? Presentamos perspectivas feministas interseccionales y decoloniales para proponer un entendimiento del “artivismo” que considera las particularidades de los contextos del Sur Global, conectándolo a dos ejes: (a) establecer espacios dialógicos y (b) movilizar memorias e historias. Nuestra comprensión de los diálogos “artivistas” de Sur a Sur emergen desde las nociones de “pluriversalidad,” “incompletitud” y “humildad,” que nacen desde el conocimiento latinoamericano y africano que están entrelazados. Cuando los grupos marginados intercambian “conocimiento situado” y se expresan a través del “artivismo” desde “puntos de vista interseccionales” o “lugares de fala,” crean vínculos y conexiones transformadoras entre los pueblos del Sur Global.

 

Image: Andrea Medrado

Andrea Medrado

About

Andrea Medrado is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Media and Communication of the University of Westminster. She is also the Course Leader for the BA Digital Media and the leader for the Cultural Identities and Social Change theme at the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI). Her research focuses on digital media activism and artivism as tools for social change in the Global South and on creative and participatory approaches to analysing marginalised communities’ information security needs and everyday engagements with artificial intelligence (AI). Her book Media Activism, Artivism and the Fight Against Marginalisation in the Global South was published by Routledge in 2023. She has also published in leading academic journals and contributed to several edited book collections. Andrea is currently the Vice President of IAMCR, the largest international association in the field of media and communication.

Details

Date
16 November 2022
Published By
Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology and Society
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CAMRI | South-to-South dialogues between Brazilian and Kenyan artivists: decolonial and intersectional feminist perspectives - CAMRI
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