Having it good

Reflections on engaged art and engaged buddhism

Authors

Abstract

This text is the translation of an essay written by the north american artist, professor and researcher Suzanne Lacy, originally published in 2005. Despite the two-decade gap, the issues addressed in this essay remain urgent as they discuss aesthetic, ethical and political aspects that are very current today. By putting into dialogue, the practices of so-called engaged art and engaged Buddhism, the author exposes the conflicts triggered by the dichotomies inherent to a certain Western mentality in which the notion of good privileges the individual to the detriment of certain meanings of collectivity. To this end, Suzanne Lacy draws on personal, artistic and pedagogical experiences in a conversation with contemporary artists, Buddhist scholars and the activist context of the second half of the 20th century, to rethink relationships between art, politics and spirituality in everyday life. Keywords: Contemporary Art; Engaged Buddhism; Engaged Art; Public Art; Everyday Life.

Published

2025-08-07