Art and Human Rights

This timely book builds bridges between the notions of art and aesthetics, human rights, universality, and dignity. It explores a world in which art and justice enter a discussion to answer questions such as: can art translate the human experience? How does humanity link individuality and community building? How do human beings define and look for their identity? The fields of human rights and art are brought together in order to open the discussion and contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights.

This interdisciplinary book brings together experts in the fields of art, cultural heritage, social justice, human rights, international law, and transitional justice, and presents the idea that a complex interplay between morality, politics, law, and aesthetics remains present in concrete settings such as the rights of cultural creators, the right to artistic expression, art as a catalyst of change in times of conflict, and post-conflict restitutions. The book offers vignettes of current debates in art and human rights, tackling issues at the confluence of these fields by providing a general framework upon which the conversation can be built, and by bringing to the discussion a diverse range of contemporary themes and concrete case analyses.

This book will be an ideal read for academics interested in international law, transitional justice and human rights. Historians, lawyers, artists, and activists looking to explore the relationship between art and human rights in times of war, peace, and transition through their assessment of contemporary issues will also benefit from this comprehensive book.