Translating resistance in art activism: Hip Hop and 100 Thousand Poets for Change

This article examines the role of translational and polylingual practices in global forms of art activism. It is through translation, both narrowly and broadly speaking, that local issues with a universal resonance overcome cultural and political borders and are addressed by art activists sharing common social and political strategies, such as Hiphoppas, and artists belonging to resistance movements, like the 100 Thousand Poets for Change (100TPC). Translation represents both an object of enquiry, as a shaping force in the construction of these artists’ identities, and a methodological tool for examining the interplay of central issues, such as language, culture and identity. Narrative theory and the notion of prefigurative politics are also applied to provide an interdisciplinary approach that is paramount in the analysis of all global processes.