Protest Art is a broad term that refers to creative works that are produced by artists (and activists) in response to global events, social movements, and acts of oppression, violence, injustice, and inequalities.

Many variations of protest art can be found throughout the history, so it is difficult to establish the beginning of this politically engaging artistic expression. Conceptual art and performance activist art was majorly influenced by Dada, an movement formed during the First World War in Zurich in reaction to the horrors and folly of the war. The art, poetry, and performance produced by dada artists is often satirical and nonsensical in nature. When it comes to fine art, Picasso’s Guernica (1937) based on the Spanish Civil War and capturing its atrocities and inhumanity, served as an inspiration for the modern human rights movement.

During the 1960s and 1970s, many creatives that can be seen as protest artists visibly opposed the Vietnam War and produced artworks that raised awareness and called for the responsibility.