Throughout time, art has been used as a means to express one’s feelings on the world around them. Whether it was to showcase anti-government sentiments or used by the government for propaganda campaigns, art in all its forms has been the driving force behind documenting the joyful and the destructive moments that humans have enjoyed, endured and executed on each other for millennia. Now more than ever, art is being used as a platform for communicating topics that would otherwise be ignored, whether they’re political, social or economic issues.

In the 288-page full color book Art & Agenda from Gestalten the central subjects of art, politics and activism are explored to illustrate just how tightly woven together these fields are in this day and age — both in a local and global scale. Over 100 artists contributed to Art & Agenda, including Elmgreen & Dragset, Hank Willis Thomas, Maurizio Cattelan, Zhang Huan, JR and the Voina Group.

Throughout the book, you see just how much one’s culture affects the degree of radicalness each artist portrays in their work, as well as the techniques they used and goals they had for the project. Don’t forget that the social and political circle they associate themselves with plays just as much a key role in the art they produce as it does your world perspective and day-to-day life. From the fight against poverty to the advocacy of women’s right, from the showcase of Haiti rebuilding their communities to the critical statements on transnational oil companies, the work featured in the book is diverse among the young artists who were responsible for the production of the varied types of work.

Art & Agenda looks at how art sets agendas, influences political reactions and reflects on the world around us. This print documentary is a display of performances, sculptures, paintings, installations and urban interventions and points to future forms of political discourse. The book also features comprehensive and insightful texts by curators Pedro Alonzo, Alain Bieber, and Silke Krohn as well as by Gregor Jansen, the director of the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf.

Grab yourself a copy for $68 (€44.00).