ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND NATION-BUILDING IN A DIGITAL AGE

Abstract

Hunam's existence has noted the multifaceted role that art plays in the development of a nation. Over the years, art has also long been recognised as a potent tool for defining and sculpting cultural identities, nation-building and greatly influencing artistic expressions which act as a powerful force in forming communal unity, a sense of identity and cultural legacy. Focusing on major facets and effects on how artistic expressions impact the socio-cultural and political fabric of countries in the digital era, this paper presents an overview of the functions of creative expressions in nation-building, it illustrates how technology mediation affects socio-cultures and in what way this influences how identity, distinctive stories, historical experiences, civic involvement, social change, and value are transmitted between societies and individuals. This paper also explores artistic expression as mirrors that reflect a society's values, beliefs, and aspirations and explores how Nigeria with a leading role as the largest economy in Africa and leader in the continent's shift from fixed telephones to mobile phones, with over 220,715,961 million mobile internet subscribers who are driven by social media engagements, now stand a better chance to use technology as a vehicle for realistic artistic expressions and nation-building. This paper is anchored on Cultural Nationalism Theory and Cultural Policy Theory and uses quantitative data to inform its evaluations and submissions. The findings of this paper advocate that artistic expressions remain effective in building, preserving, and promoting nation-building in Nigeria and encourage the government to effect positive policies regarding this.