Art, Aesthetics, Justice, and Reconciliation: What can art do?

Abstract

The potential convergence of art and international justice has received greater attention in recent years. In light of recognition of the limitations of international courts and the challenges of outreach, scholars and practitioners have begun to seek alternative ways of fostering engagement among the communities most affected by the crimes under their jurisdiction. In this context, the question has arisen: What can art do? What is the potential role of art and aesthetics in furthering goals of international courts beyond justice, i.e., towards peace and reconciliation? In this essay, I discuss three ways in which art has enormous potential, while also acknowledging that there are associated risks and challenges that might cause us to temper our enthusiasm.

Transitional Justice and Reconciliation in the Western Balkans: Approaches, Impacts and Challenges

“…Challenging stereotypes: Listening to personal stories can challenge stereotypes. Narratives of moral exemplars and learning about members of the 'enemy' group who opposed what was occurring in their name, such as through Dah theatre and the Reconciliations exhibit, can also counter stereotypes and perceptions of collective guilt (Kerr, 2020;Simić & Milošević, 2014).…”

“…Throughout the Western Balkans, the term 'reconciliation' is often strongly resisted, seen as antijustice, artificial and controlled, or as a politics of distraction from more pressing needs (Kerr, 2020;Sokolić, 2020). To some, it reflects the impossibility of dealing satisfactorily with the past (Kerr, 2020). In recent years, practitioners have used the term less, opting instead for the formulation of 'moving forward', which has fewer negative connotations .…”

“…The growing interest in arts in transitional justice reflects a broader trend in peacebuilding scholarship and practice where the arts are used as an instrument to promote dialogue, new ways of thinking, and processes of reconciliation Haider, 2016). Art initiatives span a wide spectrum of creative activity driven by a range of stakeholderscommunity workers, NGOs, heritage institutions, arts organisations, artists, etc.engaging in, but not limited to, public art installations, photography, film-making, theatre, dance, and creative writing (Kerr, 2020). Cultural interventions can create more accessible forms of transitional justice and modes of engagement.…”

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▪ The Bosnian War Crimes Atlas that provides an interactive map of locations of past war crimes, mass graves, and monuments in BiH provides knowledge, including from trials, in an accessible way that prevents manipulation of the past.▪ Research on My Story, which engages in multi-ethnic storytelling by victims, finds a subsequent decline in denial of the out-group's suffering that can also contribute to acknowledgement of crimes committed by the in-group (Oberpfalzerová et al, 2019).▪ Studies of an initiative in BiH that exposed youth to narratives of rescuers who crossed the ethnic divide (moral exemplars) finds that they increased participants' willingness to forgive the out-group's misdeeds and their belief in reconciliation (Čehajić-Clancy & Bilewicz, 2017).Art and culture ▪ Art can make archival and trial documents more accessible, such as Serbian artist Miladinović's ink washed drawings of evidence from ICTY trials (Kerr, 2020).▪ The Historical Museum of BiH, through its various exhibits, including on the theme of Reconciliations, has attracted new audiences and encouraged different forms of engagement with BiH's contested pastbecoming a key site of deliberation .▪ Performance art can become 'strategic confrontation spaces' that push for a reckoning with the past (Kurze, 2016). The Thinking of You installation in Kosovo (with 5,000 donated skirts and dresses hung from washing lines) attempted to confront the stigma surrounding sexual violence.

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“…Art and culture ▪ Art can make archival and trial documents more accessible, such as Serbian artist Miladinović's ink washed drawings of evidence from ICTY trials (Kerr, 2020).…”