Art as a tool to transform society: A systems thinking exploration
Art has always fascinated me—not just as something beautiful or provocative, but as a force that’s intricately woven into the fabric of society. It’s easy to think of art as simply a reflection of our times, a mirror held up to the world. But in reality, art goes far beyond that. It doesn’t just reflect—it shapes, it questions, it pushes. And when I started looking at art through the lens of systems thinking, I began to understand its power in a much deeper way.
It was Tony Fry who first introduced me to Niklas Luhmann and his thought-provoking discourse on society as communication rather than a collection of individuals. This idea fundamentally shifted my understanding of how culture, laws, and norms function. Luhmann’s systems theory helped me see the world as one large, interconnected system—each part communicating, creating meaning, and influencing the whole. And within that vast system, art operates as its own distinct sub-system.
Now, I’ll admit, Luhmann’s ideas can be dense, and my interpretations may not always hit the mark. His work invites a lot of different readings, and maybe I’m right, maybe I’m wrong in how I see it. But what I’ve taken from his perspective has helped me answer a deep personal question: What is the power of Art?
Art as a social system, as I understand it from Luhmann, operates with its own set of rules and internal logic. It’s self-referential, meaning it doesn’t need to play by the rules of other systems—whether that’s politics, economics, or even science. This autonomy is critical because it allows art to break free from external pressures. It can create without needing to answer to anything but itself. And in that freedom, art becomes a space for experimentation, for new ideas, for exploring perspectives that might be impossible elsewhere.
What fascinates me further is how, at the current intersection of AI and art, collective art creation becomes the space where we can reimagine and test worlds that can address solutions to fundamental ethical questions. As technology advances and society becomes more interconnected, the ethical challenges we face are more complex and harder to solve within traditional systems. Art, however, gives us a way to envision alternatives—to think deeply about the consequences of our actions and how we shape the future.
On Ecological Communication, Luhmann raises a question that I keep thinking about: “How can we discuss ethics in a society where every system has its own internal logic and no universal ethical framework can apply?” This question resonates strongly with me when I think about community led art. If every system—politics, economics, technology—has its own set of rules, where can we address ethics? I believe creating art together provides a unique space for these discussions. Through its capacity to communicate across boundaries, art becomes the place where ethical questions can be raised, examined, and even challenged without being restricted by the constraints of any single system.
I find this autonomy to be one of the most exciting aspects of art. It’s what allows artists to push against the grain, to question societal norms, and to envision worlds that don’t yet exist. It’s in this realm of possibility that real change can begin. Through its unique logic, art can expose the cracks in the systems we take for granted, offering us a glimpse of something different—a new way of thinking and being.
What really intrigues me is how art can redefine meaning. We tend to move through life accepting certain norms as just the way things are. But art disrupts that flow. It challenges the way we see and understand the world, often by offering us an alternative reality, a version of events that makes us stop and think. And when we experience that, something shifts. We begin to realize that many of the things we thought were fixed are, in fact, constructed—open to interpretation, open to change. Art makes us aware that the world can be re-imagined.
There’s also something deeply reflexive about art. When we engage with a piece of art, we’re not just looking at it—we’re also looking at ourselves, at society. Art holds up a kind of external lens through which we can observe the world we’ve built. It’s like an invitation to step outside the usual flow of life and critically reflect on what’s happening. When art brings social issues into focus, it opens up a space for questioning, for rethinking the values and structures that govern us. It’s a powerful form of societal self-observation.
Another thing that strikes me is art’s ability to express the inexpressible. There are certain things that just don’t get discussed in everyday life. Some ideas, emotions, or experiences are too uncomfortable or complex to fit into the usual frameworks of conversation. Art, however, has the unique capacity to bring these things into the light. It gives voice to what is otherwise marginalized, ignored, or even silenced. And in doing so, it expands the boundaries of what we think is possible—what we can talk about, imagine, and ultimately change.
I also love thinking about art as a driver of social evolution. Luhmann argues that art plays a crucial role in this process, offering new interpretations and meanings that, over time, ripple out into other parts of society. Art is a kind of laboratory where we can experiment with new ways of seeing the world, and these experiments often permeate culture more broadly, influencing the norms and values that shape our lives. Art introduces new ideas, and as those ideas take root, they can transform old patterns and lead to genuine societal change.
Lastly, I see aesthetic innovation as one of art’s most significant contributions to cultural change. From where I see it, new artistic expressions often come before larger social transformations. When art disrupts familiar patterns of thinking, it can create a kind of cognitive dissonance—a discomfort that compels us to reassess what we thought we knew. This process of re-evaluation can lead to real shifts in how we, as individuals and societies, create the world.
In the end, I believe art is a dynamic, transformative force, capable of challenging the very foundations of society. by operating outside the usual constraints, it allows to introduce new meanings, reflect critically on the world, and foster the evolution of social norms. Maybe I’m still grasping the full depth of Luhmann’s discourse, but in my exploration, I’ve found an answer to Why art? At the current intersection and speed of change I hold on to art to imagine possibilities so that we can bring forth thenew paradigm I want my daughter and all children to live in.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, feel free to email info@angelasierra.com
