Soft Power

de Eungie Joo, Manthia Diaware, Adrienne Edwards, Yasmine El Rashidi

"Timely and provocative, SOFT POWER is an exhibition about the ways in which artists deploy art to explore their roles as citizens and social actors. Appropriated from the Reagan-era term used to describe how a country's 'soft' assets such as culture, political values and foreign policies can be more influential than violence or coercion, the title SOFT POWER suggests a contemplation on the potential of art and offers a provocation to the public to exert their own influence on the world...." -- An exhibition of recent work and new commissions by 20 artists from around the world organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. These artists understand themselves as social actors, question their responsibility as citizens and are active in their role as public intellectuals and provocateurs who use their platforms to engage directly in social, political and environmental concerns or to highlight them in their work. As such, SOFT POWER demonstrates art's 'soft' ability to showcase ideas and send them into the world. --