"Is art the hammer that shapes the world, or the mirror which reflects it?"
I think art serves both.
Until we are made aware of injustice,
be it social, political, ecological, familial, societal, cultural, financial, humanitarian,
we cannot work for change.
So art is a mirror which triggers our awareness, our consciousness, our compassion.
It can be an impetus for transformation.
However, art can shape our world.
It can be a medium for personal transformation; for community transformation;
and for social change.