Widening the margins of political participation: The political effect of street art on civil society

ABSTRACT Over the past few decades, society has witnessed the flourishing of artistic practices with socio-political aims, including street art. Street art created without permission has become one of the most persistent ways of protesting the usurpation of rights in the public space. However, current discussions about civil society and political participation tend to underestimate its political role. Street art has grown in popularity to a point where a legal form of the practice has also emerged. Using the Israeli street art scene as a case study, this article examines how street art has turned into an active intervention in public space and has transformed into a form of political participation that has the potential of reinforcing itself. The author contends that the inclusion of street art practices in the theoretical framework of civil society will enhance our understanding of contemporary political participation.