“Art Action” at the Nexus of Youth Counter-Conduct and Climate Change

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Abstract

Climate protestors have successfully added “art action” to their arsenal of tools for raising awareness and inspiring action on climate change—often involving the smearing or splashing of food on famous works of art. In Debordian terms, these protests take place within the “spectacle” of everyday practices of cultural consumption, where art is protected and commoditized through longstanding norms and expectations. Yet, in defacing these paintings, we might see critical art and “détournement”—a restructuring of culture and experience through art to create something new. Conversely, once captured in the news, these events also risk “recuperation” wherein the spectacle regains control by intercepting and trivializing protestors’ ideas by reducing acts of defacement to consumable images. Since this phenomenon often involves the arresting of climate anxious youth engaged in law-breaking to protest inaction on climate change, the impacts and experiences of young people in this space warrants attention. This presentation draws from a range of theorists, including Debord, Gramsci, Foucault, and Baudrillard to offer initial conceptual insights on the criminalization of climate protests involving artwork and young people. In particular, the following question is explored: What can “art action” teach us about the nexus of youth counter-conduct and climate change?

Authors

• Wesley Tourangeau, University of Windsor

• Ben Kisby, University of Lincoln Adam Formby, University of York