Culture and conflict: Kabuli art as public pedagogy

Abstract

Kabul is a city that has experienced years of war and devastation. Through the ruptures to culture, Kabuli 1 artists are using their art practice to rebuild their city. As a public pedagogy, the artworks produced in the streets of Kabul reflect the intersection of activism, education, and creative expression. This article will look at how two sources of public art, Shamsia Hassani and ArtLords, are creating transitional spaces within the city. 2 Through their art praxis, they make sites of contestation and deliberation. The incidental-ephemeral publics that encounter them and their work as they pass are invited to engage with the work and the process of art making. The site, thus, employs visual and performative tools to nurture discursive moments in which citizens can engage with artists about the future of their city and the construction of identity. The article will present the aspirations of these street artists and their art practice, arguing that it is a form of public pedagogy. They reflect the hopes and fears of the inhabitants who simultaneously love and fear their city.