Policy-Oriented Art: Developing Disaster Displacement Norms in Diplomatic Venues

This research seeks to increase understanding about artists’ and art’s potential influence on international policymaking addressing disaster displacement. Its overall aim is to identify and characterize strategies for artists, curators, and others seeking to bring art within collective efforts to advance the development of disaster displacement norms in diplomatic venues, and to articulate the relevance of such strategies to international policymakers. While previous studies in art and curating explore art’s role in political change, there is insufficient knowledge about how art contributes to the formation of international law and policy.

The research uses a qualitative approach to identify, describe, and analyse artistic strategies used in diplomatic contexts through two case studies. The first case, a selective historical and contextual investigation into art as diplomatic gift at the United Nations Office at Geneva, found that art creates conditions conducive for diplomatic relations and, less frequently, addresses the substantive content of multilateral discussions. The second case examining my curatorial practice leading the DISPLACEMENT: Uncertain Journeys project between 2018-2022, which develops art exhibitions for diplomatic conferences, concluded that art contributes to collective norm development efforts by drawing from four artistic strategies: i) Manifesting or revealing abstract ideals, values, and power dynamics; ii) Stimulating reflection, conversation, and debate; iii) Contributing novel information, knowledge, and methods; and iv) Investigating and modelling policy solutions.

The study makes three main contributions. First, through interdisciplinary inquiry, the thesis integrates norm evolution theories from international relations in its analysis, expanding current research on contemporary art and curatorial practices that engage social and political issues. Second, it develops a conceptual framework for such art’s influence on international norm development, which may include: i) increasing awareness and understanding of the norm; ii) exhibiting and inspiring ideational commitment to the norm; and/or iii) generating creative thinking and innovative solutions to implement the norm. Third, it proposes the terms “policy-oriented art” and “policy-oriented curating,” which focus on exhibiting art for international policymakers within diplomatic venues as compared to “white cube activist” curatorial strategies that address the public at large from within art institutions. Together, these provide a cross-disciplinary foundation for future research and practice at a time when the climate emergency and other global challenges demand a concerted effort by all, including artists.