Arts Correspondent
Hans Christian once said “Where words fail, Music speaks”, which is true but has one ever thought of how Art is as effective as music to express what words cannot. Now and again the society faces social, economic and political challenges which do not seem to be addressed. No matter how the community tries to outcry their needs and concerns, it is always in vain. Laws and restrictive regulations are usually applied therefore hindering the opportunity for them to express themselves freely. In such circumstances art takes another approach without facing any restrictions as it tries to express the outcries of the society.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a documentary film maker (2017), states that good art can teach and generates empathy, and empathy leads to change. Leaders in different fields of work are beginning to take note of this and have since started investing in art as a way of engaging with the public and promoting art. This in turn improving livelihood and boosts economic growth. Galleries in both Zimbabwe and other countries have featured exhibitions which address social, economic and political challenges. An example is of Kudzanai Chiurai’s solo exhibition titled “We need new names”. The exhibition which reflected the title of NoViolet Bulawayo’s debut novel, offered an exploration of Christian values and traditional intersection, patriarchal structures and gender roles; memories of home before Zimbabwe’s independence, during the period of stability following this and the time “of things falling apart”, and the fractured identity that comes with assimilation into Western cultures.
Since art can act as a voice to the marginalised, it provides a better platform for artists to address the pleas and desires of the community. The artists act as the mediators of the audience. Artwork breaks down any language barriers as it takes one’s understanding of the visual message being portrayed by the artwork. It allows people from different cultures and different times to communicate with each other through images, sounds and stories. Art is often a vehicle for social change. It can give voice to the politically or socially alienated directly empowering the most vulnerable members of society. Sara Hughes (2015) states that it is everyone’s responsibility to picture the possibilities in shifting the way the rest of the community views the challenges and how art can be used to uplift the hope and resilience of communities we are a part of to sustain them. Artists do not just paint or sculpt works because they are talent, they use their talent to become the voice to the voiceless.
Exhibitions are usually categorised according to the different types of themes guiding the exhibition. One would discover that exhibitions such as women’s exhibition will focus solely on women and whatever message they are going to project to the society. Since women are often marginalised in the society, such exhibitions dedicated towards them provide a platform for them to air out their views and the challenges they face. Exhibitions that wish to address economic challenges will feature artworks that expresses the challenges. Above all it is important to support the art industry as it plays a significant role in addressing what words have failed to.
