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In a world torn by conflict, inequality, and censorship, the question persists: Is art still art when it takes a stand? When a mural denounces state violence, a theatre piece exposeing homophobia, or a poem demanding justice—does it lose its status as “art” and become “activism”? Or worse, propaganda? These are not ethical ponderings—they are political questions. And as artists working in repressive societies these are matters of survival, identity, and integrity.

Art vs Activism
Let’s be clear: the artificial divide between art and activism is rooted in privilege.The notion that “true” art must be apolitical, neutral, or detached from reality is made-up by those who have never needed art to survive, resist, or be heard. Art for generations has been political. From the cave paintings of early man to Picasso’s Guernica, from griots singing resistance in colonial Africa to   Byron  Kawada’s stage plays—art has always had something to say. It’s not activism that threatens art. It’s silence in the face of injustice that does.

The Power of Human Rights Art
Art that promotes human rights is not a lesser form of expression. On the contrary, it is often the most courageous. It dares to document what the state censors. It offers healing where society wounds and creates visibility where there is erasure. I have seen this firsthand at EAVA Artists were murals on gender-based violence start conversations in communities too afraid to speak. Documentary films on minority communities demand recognition. And festivals build solidarity, provoke reflection, and make human dignity visible. That is art. And it is revolutionary.

But Where Do We Draw the Line? This is where it gets uncomfortable. Not all human rights art is good art. Not every painting with a fist raised is a masterpiece. When advocacy oversimplifies, and aesthetics is sacrificed for slogans, art risks becoming propaganda. It begins to preache rather than provoke and instructs rather than interrogate. Art should not be reduced to messaging, it must retain its depth, complexity, and unpredictability. Advocacy should enrich art, not flatten it. As artists we must guard against instrumentalizing creativity for the sake of donor optics or political correctness. The best human rights art must refuse easy answers, but challenge even those it seeks to defend.

The Artist’s Role in Troubled Times
Today we continue to wittiness democratic declines rfrom flawed elections to curtailing human rights and freedom of expression art becomes a frontline tool and a vital force for truth. The artist is not just a creator, they are the  chronicler, a dissenter and dreamer. The canvas becomes conscience of the nation.
So yes—art is still art if it promotes human rights. In fact, that is when it is honest, urgent and most necessary. The line isn’t between art and activism. It’s between art that risks something for the truth, and art that hides behind neutrality to avoid discomfort. In times of crisis, we don’t need decoration—we need eye-opener. 

By Vincent Kyabayinze.