Art in Cultural Diplomacy: Miss Van

The role of art as a tool in the field of public or cultural diplomacy has always been hotly debated. Much of this debate comes down to one of the most enduring, unanswerable questions: what is art? Many believe that true art can only occur when it is free of outside influence, such as government control. Therefore, government mandated pictures or sculptures aren’t free art so much as a paid advertisement. The question then becomes, can free, independent art have a diplomatic impact? One example that springs to mind is the work of modern “graffiti” artist Miss Van.

The idea of graffiti as art has itself been controversial, with critics arguing that it amounts to little more than vandalism, while supporters see it as the very epitome of artistic expression of the everyman. Graffiti art’s relationship with government is even more clouded, as on a very real level, governments frequently make the decision of whether or not street graffiti should be destroyed, or whether they should be preserved as artistic expression. Furthermore, graffiti tends to address many political or social attitudes towards government, and can be seen everywhere from Israel to Iran to Peru.

Pivotal figures such as the enigmatic Banksy have propelled the relationship between government and graffiti art to the headlines.

Work by Banksy, Photo by Q Ladaa. http://qews.info/wordpress/?attachment_id=3196

For her part, Miss Van has brought graffiti across many borders. Originally spreading her work along the streets of Toulouse, France, Miss Van brought some of the first overtly feminine overtones to the mostly male dominated world of street art. She has been a topic of some debate for feminists, some of whom praise her for bringing a feminine influence to this type of art, while others criticize her for her overtly sexualized and infantilized representations of women. She saw her work as a challenge to censorship. “When I started, you could say I had a somewhat rebellious heart. I also find that painting in the street, because it is forbidden, is a lot more exciting. Painting on walls, you’re able to hold on to your freedom, and since it’s illegal, there’s no censorship.”[1]

During her career, she has moved throughout Europe, painting on public street walls, or showing in galleries, moving fluidly between the two very different artistic worlds. As governments of countries she graces with her work determine whether or not it should remain on the street walls in which it has been painted, they are now many international and political nuances, which are all presented in a real-life public forum. The ideals of feminism and non-censorship travel with her paintings, but it is difficult to determine if those ideals are actually a form of public or cultural diplomacy, as they are only tangentially affected by government or state influence.

Work by Miss Van. From UK Show ‘Lovestain’, October 2009. Picture provided by UK Street Art. http://www.ukstreetart.co.uk/2009/09/diary-date-october-1-miss-van-private-view-at-stolen-space/

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[1] Magda Danysz & Marie Noelle Dana “From Style Writing to Art: a Street Art Anthology” pp. 262 - 273