57. Law in/as/of Art

This panel aims to explore how art and other forms of visual and material culture shape—and are shaped by—systems of law. We might consider ‘Law in’ art (representations of court cases, judges etc.); ‘Law as’ art (legal emblems, visual analysis of legal documents, mug shots, etc.) or ‘Law of’ art (how copyright and property regimes shape and control the movement of artistic works, etc.). While the intersection of law and aesthetics has been written about broadly—especially in relation to questions of vision in ethics, witnessing, and justice—little of this scholarship has been produced within the bounds of art history. However, burgeoning art historical scholarship illuminates the role of art in critically reflecting on legal systems. While law can seem abstract and disembodied, art and visual culture show how law is a material reality of everyday life. What can art say, if anything, about law, legal orders, and the conditions they produce? What happens in the act of aestheticising law?

This panel invites contributions considering the role of art in investigating the emplacement of legal orders; the disruption of law/justice divides; the (potential) murkiness of common law; and the expansiveness of law in shaping lived material conditions. Artistic representations of law include: creative work demonstrating legal injustices; performative illegality; archival documentations of the foundations of common law; sensorial interpretations of conditions of law; embodiments of legal orders; critiques of legal proceedings and case law, including speculative, installations or performances; documentary capturings of the material conditions produced by systems of law; and more. 

Themes: Law, materiality, colonialism

Additional format comment: 3-4 presentations, followed by a discussion facilitated by the co-chairs.

Lead Convenor: Susanna Collinson, University of California Santa Cruz, USA

Co-convenors: Madalen Benson, University of California Santa Cruz, USA

To submit a Paper to this Session, please follow the guidance on our website and complete the AAH 2027 Call for Papers Proposal Submission Form.