The Art of Civil Action

Edited with text by Philipp Dietachmair, Pascal Gielen. Contributions by Andrew Barnett, Llorenç Bonet, llya Budraitskis, Giuliana Ciancio, Milena Dragi?evi? Šeši?, Max Haiven, Stefan Kaegi, Ivan Krastev, Thijs Lijster, Tomislav Medak, Borka Pavi?evi?, Yudhishthir Raj Isar, Igor Stokfiszewski, Hakan Topal.

How do the arts contribute to the formation of democratic processes? How does culture constitute public space and a civil domain? The Art of Civil Action argues that cultural initiatives play an underappreciated but crucial role in unlocking dormant democratic potential in our societies. Arts and culture can be a cornerstone of the civil domain, and an anchor as communities reconcile their local and global identities and roles.

The Art of Civil Action considers how to establish a sustainable, transnational civil space, and what role culture and the arts can play in this process, through a colorful mix of case studies on citizen-led cultural initiatives from Europe and around the world. Social scientists, cultural theorists, activists and artists contribute conceptual perspectives on how the arts and culture.