Kevin A. Mani

In Copley Square, in front of the Boston Public Library, several hundred people formed a human chain in 10-degree temperatures on a recent Saturday afternoon, clasping gloved hands as they tried to keep the line unbroken and visible from a distance. Up close, however, the solidarity the chain was meant to project remains fractured over a fundamental question: Who, if anyone, should speak for a revolution?

On a recent afternoon at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, a circle of women in vibrant, flowing dresses captivated a crowd with the sways...

Art can be beautiful, art can attack, or it can do both at the same time. It has long been used to challenge the status quo, and Sheida...