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Abstract In this article, we interrogate vergonha alheia (shame on behalf of others; or “vicarious embarrassment”), which is experienced when viewing an embarrassing action from the outside. We question if shame—associated with the worst of human behavior brought about and made visible by the COVID‐19 pandemic—can ignite a new kind of cultural sensitivity to the pain of others. Turning to the work of several feminist scholars, we reveal the generative power of shame in artistic and political mobilization. We study examples of artistic activism (i.e., artivism) during the COVID‐19 pandemic, as presented by two Brazilian women—Adriana Calcanhotto and Debora Diniz. By intimately engaging with their work and situating it in the context of the popular feminist struggle in Brazil—that is, a luta (the struggle), we discern two performative patterns articulated through distinct symbolic utterances: indignação and declaração corporal (indignation and bodily declaration). We contend that these utterances help overcome individual apathy, summon radically different forms of sensitivity and meaning making that may initiate potentially transformative shifts in public perceptions of social justice. We conclude with our reflections on how feminist artivism in Latin America not only questions the validity of the abstract, universal, and modern human being but also reveals new frames of progress.
Shymko et al. (Sat,) studied this question.