Is All Art Political?

Art can either open people's eyes or close them. Almost all art in mainstream culture tends to close them—either by normalizing the madness or by numbing people to its discomfort.

The awakening we've experienced over the past year has been nothing short of extraordinary. It's both fascinating and unsettling to realize how many moral and historical distortions were always around us, unnoticed while we were moving through life on autopilot.

I was never naive or gullible about the world and its politics. Coming from the Balkans—a region marked by violence and suffering, where grief has deep roots due to countless conflicts, empires, rulers, and occupations—politics is ingrained in you from birth. Knowing your history is essential for survival. Or countless fiery debates you’ll have for the rest of your life.

When I landed at an American college, one of the courses awaiting me in my required major was World Affairs—not that I needed outside help to understand global dynamics. I've always had a solid grasp of politics. But what I hadn't fully realized was how culture and sports are often exploited to advance political agendas.

Well, now I do.

I realized that using sport…