Social justice issues and movements around gender-based violence has seen an influx of awareness through a range of art activism both in public spaces and online. In fact, with the increase in visibility for many social justice issues, especially gender-based violence (GBV), very few would feel that the topic is neglected. However, when critiquing the awareness campaigns in the media, and narrowing the focus of the social justice lens, domestic violence is a serious issue within the GBV umbrella that is often forgotten or overlooked when it comes to activist art. In fact, in cases of domestic violence, the majority of awareness is often raised after a serious, violent event makes headlines. When looking at art activism installations, online awareness campaigns, and social justice movements, domestic violence is missing from the narrative. In addition, when domestic violence becomes part of an art installation for social justice, it is often tacked on to other important social justice issues around GBV. In my essay, I will explore the lack of social justice campaigns to bring awareness to domestic violence and how we need to refocus the lens on domestic violence as its own, unique, social justice issue. In addition, I will explore how art activism is important to raise awareness of the issue of domestic violence in order to dispel the dehumanization that many victims of domestic violence experience.

 

1. Separating Domestic Violence from Gender-Based Violence

 

          When we look at raising awareness through art activism, it is important to separate domestic violence from gender-based violence. While both are inherently linked, part of art activism is in “combing the creative process of the arts to move us emotionally with the strategic planning of activism necessary to bring about social change” (Duncombe and Lambert). Unfortunately, domestic violence is often linked to a dehumanization of the victim that leaves them neglected by social and policing structures while opening them to further violence from their perpetrators. This is particularly prevalent when the victims are female identifying (Felig et al). When there is dehumanization, it is difficult to “create an Effect…” and that is why it is often placed within the umbrella of gender-based violence, where there is less dehumanization of victims so that the artistic “expression can generate Affect” (Duncombe and Lambert). As explored in the article on Why Artistic Activism: Nine Reasons, we cannot enact social justice change unless, “affect leads to effect…affective change or Æffect” (Duncombe and Lambert), which Æffect or Æffective power is action that can affect emotions while having transformative effects on society and institutions (Duncombe and Lambert).

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          So why is the distinction in regard to art activism and social justice? First, gender-based violence is a catch all term for any form of violence that can impact anyone, regardless of gender, but is primarily based around the exploitation of unequal power relations between genders (NYC Government). Historically, it was defined as any type of violence against a woman by a man (G. Elías y Muñoz Abogados); however, that definition has shifted to include a variety of violence affecting any gender or gender identity. These forms of violence include elder abuse, stalking, sexual violence, and human trafficking (NYC Government)—the majority of these forms of violence often have their own art activism, such as the art installation in New Zealand called Safety Net (2024) created by Mandalina Stanisich to raise awareness on elder abuse (Bureau).

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          Under that umbrella of gender-based violence is family and intimate partner abuse—also known as domestic violence. Domestic violence can affect anyone and can be perpetrated by men or women. It is an abusive relationship where one family member or partner tries to “maintain power and control” through the use of “manipulation, threats, or the actual use of physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, psychological, or financial abuse” (NYC Government).  It is intimate and this leads to it being considered as a personal issue and not a wider social issue. But, studies have shown that “public issues grow up around private troubles when the experiences of individuals are understood as exemplifying a larger social problem” (Gillespie et al. 1). While art activism is needed for all forms of gender-based violence, when we bring domestic violence out of that catch all name, we can begin to enact change on the hidden structural injustices that victims of domestic violence face. This means that art activists can use “aesthetic approaches to provide a critical perspective on the world as it is and imagine the world as it could be” (Duncombe and Lambert), which, in this case, would be a world where domestic violence no longer occurs…or, at the very least, perpetrators will be persecuted to the full extent of the law.

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2. The Prevalence of Domestic Violence as a Hidden Major Social Justice Issue

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          When it comes to domestic violence, the statistics are staggering: 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 10 men are victims of domestic violence (Felig et al 1246). Again, when looking at domestic violence, researchers need to be aware of the fact that it is often hidden from the public eye. When it is hidden, it is overlooked as a social issue where harms expand into other sectors of public and private life. It is easy to narrowly define domestic violence as physical violence; however, it can take on many forms from economic violence to manipulation.

 

          While domestic violence occurs at an alarming rate, which has increased globally by 25 to 33% since the start of the pandemic (Felig et al 1246), it is estimated that only 37% of female-identifying victims and 15% of male-identifying victims in Canada report their abuse (Government of Canada). In addition, 19% of perpetrators see convictions and/or prison sentences, and this is believed to be due to the fact that “domestic violence is often deemed less serious, and less worthy of severe punishment compared to non-domestic violence” (Felig et al 1246). In the judicial system, and society, those who are victims of domestic violence are often dehumanized and blamed for the abuse they experience (Felig et al 1247). This leads to court systems, governments, and the public not seeing domestic violence as the serious social justice issue that it is.

 

          By creating art that raises awareness to this often-ignored social justice issue, art activists can “bypass seemingly fixed ideas and moral ideas [domestic violence victims being subjected to dehumanization] and remap cognitive patterns” (Duncombe and Lambert). Through art activism, “surprise is a moment when hearts can be touched and minds reached, and both changed” (Duncombe and Lambert), so that domestic violence is no longer a hidden social justice where victims are viewed as deserving of the violence they experienced.

 

3. Objects Don’t Deserve Social Justice or Art

 

          When it comes to social justice and art, domestic violence is often considered a minor issue that fits into the narrative of larger social issues around gender-based violence. However, many people don’t think of the dehumanization of victims of domestic violence nor the normalization that often occurs with domestic violence cases, which works against the victims.

 

          Dehumanization occurs in two ways: 1) animalistic dehumanization, where victims are assigned traits associated to animals; or 2) mechanistic dehumanization, where victims are assigned traits associated with “unfeeling, inert objects” (Felig et al 1246-7). When victims face mechanistic dehumanization, they are perceived as having no emotions or being able to feel pain. They also perceived by society to be at fault for experiencing domestic violence while the perpetrator is more likely to be viewed as blameless. Furthermore, “mechanistic dehumanization can be responsible for not only enabling violence against women [or marginalized groups] but also excusing it” (Felig et al 1247). Not being able to feel pain  When translated to art activism and social justice, it creates a vacuum of misunderstanding amongst activists. They are unable to set “pragmatic goals and concrete objectives” (Duncombe and Lambert) when there is the perceived belief that the survivors of domestic violence are even more to blame for their suffering than the perpetrator abusing them.

 

          Furthermore, this dehumanisation perpetuates societal views on domestic violence and the very structures in place that should see justice for victims. In fact, survivors of domestic violence face mechanistic dehumanization in two specific ways: “as an object who cannot suffer” and as a “sub-human entity who brought it on herself [themselves]” (Felig et al 1260).  These two beliefs set conflicting judgements; however, instead of creating a questioning critique of the system, these judgements only reinforce and uphold patriarchal systems where domestic violence is normalized. This “function of objectification paradoxically serves not only to blame the victim but also to exonerate the abuser” (Felig et al 1260). And when everyone looks at the victim as the one to blame, it is no wonder that art activism focuses on the wider issues of gender-based violence since victims of non-domestic violence are often less dehumanized than victims of domestic violence.

 

          Which links to the fact that many victims of domestic violence are dehumanized in several different ways, and there is a stark belief that objects don’t deserve social justice or art.

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4. Art as Therapy: Hidden Away

 

          Although not an active part of art activism, it is important to mention art as therapy for many domestic abuse survivors and their children. The reason why I am mentioning this is that art is a powerful tool for both healing and activism, and it can often intersect. In fact, when survivors are able to choose their own creative process to guide them through healing, they are able to create activism within themselves to move beyond the hurt of the past. “They [the survivors], as ‘experts,’ have the knowledge and creativity” (Duncombe and Lambert) that will enable them to help both themselves and others.

 

          Art is a valuable tool for recovering a sense of self and healing for survivors and studies have shown that being creative is “associated with generally improved scores for resiliency and moderate improvement in scores for symptoms of distress and interpersonal relations” (Ikonomopoulos et al. 510).  This echoes the role of art activism where the “creative process of artistic activism encourages us to notice, reflect, and be open to new creative and political possibilities” (Duncombe and Lambert). However, the difference is that, often, creative art therapy is private and the change that is enacted is internal, instead of systematic and cultural. It is hidden, much like domestic violence, but it is a form of activism that allows survivors a way to “express emotions and explore new meaning, as well as further develop their sense of value and resiliency while improving mental health” (Ikonomopoulos et al. 508). The creative expressions of survivors could, one day, be the art activism that will change policies and minds in regard to domestic violence.

 

5. Major Social Justice Art Activism Installation

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          Finally, I want to highlight the fact that while domestic violence is often a neglected major social justice issue for the various reasons outlined in this essay, there have been art installations and social justice campaigns that attempt to raise awareness and break the silence of domestic violence. Some examples of these are the purple ribbon campaigns, the #HelpUsRise campaign that was used to raise awareness of economic abuse (CCFWE), and the recently unveiled art installation in Kitchener/Waterloo of Matrilineal Hauntings by Kathy Kranias, which explores the safety of the home through the lens of domestic violence (Waterloo Region Museum). All of these are an excellent step toward making social justice art activism around domestic violence. However, one of the more significant and relevant art activisms exploring the themes of domestic violence is over 30 years old.

 

          In 1993 and 1994, a series of art installations were put up in six cities in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California and were part of the Auto on the Edge of Time, which looked at the “effects of domestic violence as experienced by women, children and families” (Lacy). The art installation was done by Suzanne Lacy, along with fellow artists Carol Kumata, Virginia Cotts, Sharon Smolick, Charlotte Watson, Susanne Cockrell, and 15 inmates in the Family Violence Program at the Bedford Hills Maximum Security Correctional Facility. The artists and inmates took wrecked cars and made them “sculptural testimonials on themes of escape, abuse, control, support, healing, memorializing and more” (Lacy).

 

          The art installation was accessible to everyone who happened to pass by the wrecked cars and was an excellent example of how artistic activism energizes people, especially with the three cars sculpted by the inmates. One of the cars featured a “figurative brick wall installed inside… listed the prison sentence of each woman and symbolized the wall of silence many women encounter when they seek help and find none” (Lacy). This shows both the surprising impact of art that challenges the narratives of what we think female inmates are and how art activism draws people together.

 

          In fact, the installation had a way of connecting “with the artist inside of every activist and the activist within every artist, redrawing connections so that artistic activism generates fun and pleasure rather than sacrifice and guilt and, in the process, reintegrating and re-energizing our lives” (Duncombe and Lambert). It brought other activists and artists to the space where social justice becomes public discourse and art becomes a means to enact change. Although it was a powerful moment where social justice and art activism raised awareness, projects of this scale are few and far between when it comes to the topic of domestic violence.

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          In conclusion, more can be done to raise awareness of domestic violence and its harms on society and culture as a whole. Without pulling domestic violence out of the shadows, our governments and society will continue to view it as a lesser issue amongst the larger canvas of gender-based violence. Domestic violence can be part of a larger social justice movement that aims art activism at “hearts and minds, not bodies or buildings” (Duncombe and Lambert) so that the awareness is a tool to reduce the violence and raise “Æffective power” (Duncombe and Lambert). While art activism is focused on many issues, the privacy of domestic violence often leaves it on the periphery of social justice awareness and while “art cannot completely accomplish [solve] this,” (Locke 1), having awareness could aid in overcoming that space where neglect and violence meet so that domestic violence will no longer be ignored by policy or society.

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Works Cited

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Bureau, IWK. “Britomart’s Hanging Artwork Wants You to Talk about Elder Abuse.” Indian Weekender, Indian Weekender, 13 June 2024, www.indianweekender.co.nz/news/radius-cares-art-installation-highlights-elder-abuse.

CCFWE. “#HelpUsRise2023 Campaign.” CCFWE, 3 Dec. 2023, ccfwe.org/helpusrise2023-campaign/.

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Duncombe, Stephen, and Steve Lambert. “Why Artistic Activism?” The Center for Artistic Activism, 22 June 2022, c4aa.org/2018/04/why-artistic-activism.

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G. Elías y Muñoz Abogados. “The Difference between Domestic Violence and Gender-Based Violence.” G. Elías y Muñoz Lawyers, 2024, www.eliasymunozabogados.com/en/blog/difference-between-domestic-violence-and-gender-based-violence.

NYC Government. “Introduction to Domestic Violence & GBV.” Introduction to Domestic Violence and Gender Based Violence - ENDGBV, 2024, www.nyc.gov/site/ocdv/services/introduction-to-domestic-violence-and-gender-based-violence.page.

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Felig, Roxanne N., et al. “Objects Do Not Suffer: An Impact of Mechanistic Dehumanization on Perceptions of Women’s Suffering and Lack of Justice in Domestic Assault.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence, vol. 39, no. 5–6, 2024, pp. 1245–67, https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605231204897.

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Gillespie, Lane Kirkland, et al. “Framing Deadly Domestic Violence: Why the Media’s Spin Matters in Newspaper Coverage of Femicide.” Violence against Women, vol. 19, no. 2, 2013, pp. 222–45, https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801213476457.

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Government of Canada, Department of Justice. “Final Report of the Ad Hoc Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group Reviewing Spousal Abuse Policies and Legislation.” SECTION I: REVIEW OF SPOUSAL ABUSE POLICIES, 8 Dec. 2021, justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/cj-jp/fv-vf/pol/p2.html#:~:text=Criminal%20justice%20system%20services%3A%2037,18).

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Government of Canada, Department of Justice. “JustResearch No. 12.” Sentencing Outcomes: A Comparison of Family Violence and Non-Family Violence Cases - JustResearch No.12, 20 Jan. 2023, www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/jr12/p5e.html.

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Ikonomopoulos, James, et al. “Evaluating the Effects of Creative Journal Arts Therapy for Survivors of Domestic Violence.” Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, vol. 12, no. 4, 2017, pp. 496–512, https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2017.1328290.

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Lacy, Suzanne. “Auto on the Edge of Time (1993-1994).” SUZANNE LACY, 2024, www.suzannelacy.com/auto-on-the-edge-of-time.

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Locke, Alain, ‘Art or Propaganda?’ Harlem, Vol. 1, No. 1, November 1928, https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai3/protest/text10/lockeartorpropaganda.pdf.

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Waterloo Region Museum. “Matrilineal Hauntings.” Waterloo Region Museum, 2024, regionofwaterloomuseums.ca/en/exhibits/matrilineal-hauntings.aspx.