The roles of artist, curator, and cultural worker inevitably intersect with the responsibilities of citizenship. In 2019, these positions converged more tightly than before, as the inadequacies of sociopolitical systems were the targets of expressions of anguish, outrage, and even protests around the globe. Artists scrutinized these same systems, which impact the production and dissemination of art, and initiated urgent calls for action in their capacities as citizens or artists, or both.

Some rallied against censorship. In Bishkek, 40 participants of the first Feminnale exhibition delivered an open letter to the president of Kyrgyzstan condemning the removal of works including Zoya Falkova’s installation on the abuse of women—a punching bag shaped like a female torso—and the blocking of Julie Savery’s nude performance about the lack of rights for sex workers, arguing that these acts are in clear violation of the Kyrgyz Republic’s constitution. Plans for a second Feminnale are reportedly already underway.

• The Artists of 2019