Art-making Process as a Tool for Social Change: A Case Study of an Animation “A short Story About Feminism in Russia”

This article explores the possibilities for social change in the art-making process, focusingon one case: the animation A short story about feminism in Russia, producedby a participant in the Cultural Sustainability and Photography Workshop organisedby the Iceland Academy of the Arts, University of Lapland and Cirrus—the Nordic and BalticNetwork of Art and Design Education in 2012. Drawing on the literature on art-making processesand feminist post-structural theories, this article presents a case analysis of what feministknowledge can be produced in art-making processes. This post-structural analysis of howartists investigate social issues pays attention to power, knowledge, gender and social meaningsin art-making processes. The analysis is also autobiographical in nature as the workshop wasbased on this methodology.We explain how that multiple voices are involved in art-making processes and have variedemphases, primarily attributed to the voices that have power and embrace critical thinking.We claim that art-making processes stress critical perspectives of society and that promotingnew ways of thinking, visualising and designing through arts demands practice-based skills,theorising and self-reflection. The visual designs, theoretical lenses, personal stories and artisticintentions in art-making situations provide equally important knowledge about the world andcan induce possibilities for social change.Keywords: art-making, animation, biographical study, social change, post-structuralism