The power of art in amplifying human rights issues and driving positive social change

Artists might usually seek public relations help to raise the profile of their art, but it is increasingly the case that campaigns are looking to artists to help raise the profile of their cause.

Artistic expression has always been a powerful way to convey a message. From political or religious art in antiquity or the Middle Ages to advertising in the 20th century, art as a means of communication has a long history.?

Today, it is perhaps more important than ever. TikTok videos and graphics on Instagram are hardly the high-brow paintings that spring to mind when art is mentioned. But the importance of grabbing your audience’s attention in the maelstrom of modern social media and 24-hour news is clear. A well-done media or social media campaign can be effective, but sometimes it needs another dimension to cut through.

At SFA, we have worked on multiple human rights campaigns that leveraged art as the cornerstone of the campaign and helped to transformed it. The visualisation of the campaign ?in a piece, or pieces, of art or an exhibition enabled a deeper and more engaging, more resonant campaign than could have been achieved only via traditional tools.

SFA has worked on the Justice for the Lai Dai Han campaign since 2018, which calls for justice for the dual heritage children of Vietnamese women raped by South Korean soldiers during the Vietnam War and their mothers.

In many ways, words could not do justice to their experiences. Therefore, SFA worked with Rebecca Hawkins to create and place a sculpture entitled ‘Mother & Child’ dedicated to the Lai Dai Han, which proudly stands in St. James’s Square, London. It is a formidable focal point of the campaign and by occupying a physical space, Mother & Child provides a permanent reminder to the international community that sexual violence is still being used as a weapon of war and continues to dismantle communities around the world. But more importantly for the Lai Dai Han, who have never had their claims formally recognised by their own government let alone the government of their perpetrators, the physical sculpture has helped the survivors and their children feel acknowledged. It has been a powerful tool for collective healing and closure.

The success and impact of the first sculpture sparked a conversation that has led to an even more ambitious project – the world’s first collaborative artwork representing all survivors of conflict-related sexual violence globally. The new sculpture, which will be touring Europe next year (more to be revealed soon), is the product of a partnership with leading global organisations encompassing the perspectives of survivors from over 25 conflict-affected countries worldwide. The evolution of the Lai Dai Han campaign shows the power of art as a means to rally allies, build networks, and elevate the profile of a campaign. SFA has applied this lesson across our work on human rights campaigns, transforming audience engagement with complex social issues.