What would a society look like if people could no longer express what they felt, imagine what did not yet exist, or encounter the world through someone else’s eyes? It might continue to function, but something essential would be missing: the space to understand ourselves and one another beyond the boundaries of our immediate experiences.
Today, art is often treated as entertainment to be consumed or an investment whose value is measured in numbers. Yet art encompasses far more than what can be sold, displayed or quantified. It is one of the ways through which people express emotions, preserve memories, question established ideas and communicate experiences that words alone cannot capture. Art is not merely an ornament of society; it is part of how society understands itself.
Art takes countless forms, including painting, sculpture, music, literature, poetry, theatre, dance, film, photography, architecture, calligraphy and crafts. It also extends into digital media, animation and design. These forms differ in technique and purpose, but they share the capacity to communicate ideas, preserve cultural identities and invite people to see familiar realities differently. Art can celebrate beauty, document history, challenge injustice or simply offer the freedom to create without serving a practical purpose.
Its significance becomes particularly apparent in a world saturated with information. Statistics can tell us how many people have been displaced by conflict, but a photograph, poem or film can bring us closer to the human experience behind those figures. Art can make an issue felt, transforming distant realities into experiences that invite reflection. It does not guarantee empathy or action, but it can create an opening through which both become possible.
This ability to encourage perspective-taking is central to art’s relationship with society. A novel may introduce readers to a life unlike their own; a film may reveal the consequences of prejudice; a theatrical performance may challenge assumptions that audiences have never questioned. Such encounters can encourage people to recognise the humanity of others, including those whose religion, class, ethnicity, nationality or experiences differ from their own.
Art does not require people to agree. Two individuals can interpret the same painting differently, respond to a performance in contrasting ways or disagree about a film’s message while still sharing the experience. This makes artistic spaces valuable for inclusive societies: they allow differences to be encountered rather than automatically treated as threats. Art cannot eliminate prejudice by itself, but it can challenge stereotypes, expand understanding and create opportunities for dialogue.
Pakistani cinema offers a compelling example. Sabiha Sumar’s Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters, 2003) explores the lasting consequences of Partition and the relationship between religious identity, nationalism and women’s experiences. By placing a woman’s personal history within wider social and political upheavals, the film invites audiences to consider the human costs of divisions that are often discussed only through collective identities. Scholarly analysis of the film has examined how it challenges dominant historical narratives and brings overlooked experiences into view.
This is one reason artistic freedom matters. Films, plays, novels and other creative works can bring uncomfortable social realities into public discussion. When a work reflects inequality, discrimination or conflict, dismissing it simply because its subject is controversial can close off opportunities for reflection. Rather than imposing broad or unjustified bans on works that mirror society, institutions should encourage informed discussion and apply transparent, proportionate content regulations. A society cannot meaningfully confront its problems if it leaves no room to represent them.
Art also preserves something that conventional historical records may not: the emotional memory of events. Picasso’s Guernica, for instance, does more than refer to the bombing of a Spanish town during the Civil War. Its distorted figures and anguished expressions convey the terror and suffering associated with violence. In Pakistan, literature, regional music, traditional crafts, calligraphy and architecture similarly carry memories, identities and experiences across generations. Preserving these forms is not simply about protecting objects or techniques; it is about retaining the diverse stories through which communities understand their past.
However, cultural preservation must not become a reason to restrict creativity to inherited traditions. Art can preserve the past while questioning the present and imagining a different future. This is particularly relevant in Pakistan, where rich artistic traditions coexist with social expectations that can sometimes constrain individual expression. In a collectivist society, community identity can provide belonging and continuity, but it is equally important to allow individuals room to express perspectives that differ from prevailing expectations. Inclusion requires respect for shared traditions without making conformity the price of acceptance.
If art is to contribute to a more empathetic society, appreciation alone is not enough. Access to artistic and cultural life must become more widespread. Public libraries should be established in underserved communities and existing libraries revitalised as accessible spaces for reading, learning and encountering unfamiliar perspectives. Local cinemas also need opportunities to recover as affordable public spaces where people can experience stories together. Schools should integrate literature, theatre, music and visual arts into learning, using storytelling and perspective-taking exercises to help students understand experiences beyond their own.
Communities can further encourage inclusion through multicultural festivals, exhibitions, performances and creative workshops that bring people from different religious, ethnic, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds together. These activities should offer meaningful participation rather than simply display cultural differences. Historical monuments and the contributions of artists, writers, musicians and cultural figures also deserve greater attention through education and public engagement. Respecting heritage means recognising the many communities and traditions that have contributed to society.
There is also room to explore the responsible use of art in healthcare. Art therapy, when delivered by appropriately trained professionals, can support emotional expression and wellbeing in relevant clinical settings. Developing training and professional opportunities in this field could widen access to such services while creating employment for qualified practitioners. Similarly, restorative storytelling can help people share experiences, listen to others and reflect on harm and conflict. These approaches cannot replace professional care or broader social reforms, but they can complement efforts to build understanding.
Ultimately, art should not have to justify its existence by solving a social problem. Its value also lies in beauty, curiosity, imagination and the freedom to create. Yet these qualities have consequences for how society thinks and lives. Art gives us opportunities to question what we accept, encounter what we do not know and recognise experiences beyond our own.
There is so much more to write about art, and perhaps even more to discuss than one article can accommodate. I write this as someone who believes that the things we write about can contribute, in some small way, to how we see and understand the world around us. I keep returning to one thought: in a world that so often draws lines between us, perhaps art can help us pause, listen, and see the world through someone else’s eyes. We may not always agree, nor do we have to be the same, but we can learn to respect our differences and make room for one another.
If this article encourages even one reader to look at art or at another person’s experience a little differently, then perhaps it has served its purpose. After all, we could all use a little more breathing space to understand one another and learn to coexist.
The writer is a Public Policy scholar.
aiman.zameer98@gmail.com
