Art Intervention

‘Art intervention’ is art that’s created with the intention of interacting with an existing structure or situation.

Art intervention involves interacting with an existing artwork, audience, venue or space, or situation. This concept falls within the realm of conceptual art and is often a form of performance art. It is associated with various art movements, including the Letterist International, Situationist International, Viennese Actionists, the Dada movement, and Neo-Dadaists. More recently, intervention art has given rise to Guerrilla art, street art, and has been extensively employed by the Stuckists to challenge existing art and as a form of protest.

Intervention can also extend to art and actions that enter situations beyond the art world in an effort to modify existing conditions. For instance, intervention art may seek to alter economic or political situations or raise awareness about previously unknown conditions. Given that these objectives involve addressing and engaging with the public, some artists refer to their work as ‘public interventions’