Introduction: The Aesthetics and Politics of (In)Visibility.

This article explores the concepts of social visibility and invisibility in the context of social justice and political participation. It discusses how social and political philosophers, such as Axel Honneth, Hannah Arendt, and Jacques Rancière, view visibility and invisibility as critical lenses through which to understand oppression, exclusion, and emancipatory change. The article also highlights the ambivalent nature of visibility, which can both empower and sustain problematic social dynamics. The papers in this special issue address questions about how individuals and groups achieve social visibility or remain invisible, and how democratic societies can challenge and diversify prevailing modes of perception. The hope is that these discussions will contribute to a nuanced understanding of the relationship between visibility, social justice, and transformative action. [Extracted from the article]