Throughout history, art has been a means of expressing a
political statement, and many of the most iconic artworks were
created in response to periods of turmoil or strife—think, for
instance, of Goya's 3rd of May, 1808 or Picasso's Guernica.
Contemporary artists continue to address political themes
relevant to today, from globalization and climate change to
national security and war, attuning their viewers to pressing
issues through visual means. Photographer Edward Burtynsky
documents landscapes impacted by industry, depicting the
alarming effects of human interference in the natural world,
while Skylar Fein addresses the increasing influence of
technology in communication and Mounir Fatmi alludes to the
connection between ideology and violence. Other artists use
their work to explore political events of the past, insisting
that viewers remember historical injustices: in Faith Ringgold's
series Coming to Jones Road, for instance, she narrates the
journey of runaway slaves migrating north, while An-My Lê's s