Political Art: Introduction to a story and a concept

Laesoe Art Hall made a strong claim to new fame when the exhibition “The political art” opened in June 2019. The exhibition was already under massive attack, much due to the fact that it opened only 72 hours after the general elections that year. Thus the exhibition was used as a tool of communication among political actors in the elecation campaigns. This possibly fueled the massive attention it gained.

Much of the content of the exhibition was guided by the organisation Passion For Freedom in London.

In 2021 a new version of the same concept was made into an exhibition in a collaboration between Laesoe Art Hall and The Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art (CSW) in Warsaw, and again with Passion For Freedom. All three partners contributed with lists of artists to present.

 

The Warsaw edition of Political Art was seen by roughly 25.000 guests, and reviewed or condemned in more than 100 articles around the world. Add to that TV and radio debates in Poland, Denmark and Sweden. The opening of the exhibition was announced in Norwegian afternoon radio, and a feature about it was printed in a newspaper in Guatemala.

In 2023 the Danish publisher Alinea introduced an educational online platform called “Political Art” for 10th-graders in the public school. The content was written by Yours Truly. Also in 2023 Laesoe Art Hall was contacted by a media corporation doing research on Political Art.

Also in 2023 work is being done to create a third version of the exhibition in a major Western city. 

“Political Art” belong to the Critical Art tradition and is often blended with or misinterpreted as ‘political communication’. We use the term to designate art arising from a suffering consciousness over issues occuring in the political domain. ‘Political communication’, on the other hand, consists of clear messages from a sender to a number of receivers.

“Political art is a form of artistic expression that intertwines with politics, social issues, and activism. It serves as a powerful tool for artists to convey their perspectives, critique societal norms, and provoke thought and dialogue about the pressing matters that shape our world. Rooted in history and continuing to evolve, political art has played a significant role in inspiring social change, challenging power structures, and amplifying marginalized voices.

Since ancient times, art has been used to communicate political messages, often reflecting the prevailing ideologies and power dynamics of the era. From ancient civilizations’ depictions of rulers and conquests to the revolutionary propaganda of the 20th century, artists have embraced their ability to shape public opinion and challenge the status quo through their creations.

Political art takes various forms, encompassing paintings, sculptures, photography, street art, performance art, and more. Artists engage with political themes by addressing issues such as human rights, social injustice, war, inequality, gender and racial discrimination, environmental concerns, and government policies. They confront viewers with thought-provoking imagery, symbolism, and narratives, aiming to evoke emotions, raise awareness, and foster critical thinking.

One of the distinctive qualities of political art is its ability to transcend boundaries and reach a diverse audience. It often employs visual metaphors, satire, or provocative aesthetics to subvert established norms and challenge the dominant narratives. By doing so, political art encourages viewers to question their assumptions, reflect on their own beliefs, and engage in broader conversations about the complex realities of our world.

In an era of global connectivity and social media, political art has gained even greater visibility and impact. Artists can now reach a wider audience instantaneously, creating art that transcends borders and resonates with people across cultures and geographies. The digital realm has also enabled new forms of artistic expression, including online activism, digital art, and interactive installations that engage viewers in immersive experiences.

Political art serves as a testament to the power of creativity, offering a unique lens through which we can examine and challenge the world around us. It invites us to question authority, imagine alternative futures, and actively participate in shaping a more just and equitable society. By blending artistry with social consciousness, political art stands as a potent force that illuminates the intersections between aesthetics, politics, and the human experience.”

Jon Eirik Lundberg and Chatgtp

 

Udstilling i Warszawa: “Political Art”

Læsø Kunsthal samarbejder i år med den største institution for samtidskunst i Polen, U-jazdowski Castle Centre For Contemporary Art. Institutionen er lokaliseret i det svenske barok-slot U-jazdowski fra 1624. Slottet har været ødelagt og genopbygget ad flere omgange, og blev senest destrueret af det kommunistiske regime efter 2. verdenskrig. Det blev genopbygget i sin nuværende i 60’erne som en institution for kunst. 

Udstillingen “Political Art” bygger videre på ideerne bag udstillingen “Den politiske kunst” i Læsø Kunsthal 2019, men er udvidet så den omfatter 27 kunstnere fra hele verden. Direktøren for Ujazdowski, Piotr Bernatowic, har i en årrække arbejdet med et program for kunstnere der bliver udgrænset af deres egen samtid. Udstillingen i 2021 er således en syntese af de to projekter. Udstillingen åbner den 27. august og varer til januar 2022. Det er den største visning af nutidig politisk kunst nogensinde.

 

Laesoe Art Hall is proud to announce a brand new collaboration with the most important institution for contemporary art in Poland, the U-jazdowski Castle Centre For Contemporary Art. The exhibition “Political Art” is the conclusion of the works of a group of people. Piotr Bernatowic, director of U-jazdowski, has for years worked on a concept termed “inner peripheri”; artists who are kept aside by curatotors and institutions in their own time due to conceptions of their “attitudes” or “political views”. The group Passion For Freedom has for more than a decade arranged exhibitions for artists that has been victims of political censorship. And Laesoe Art Hall in 2019 arranged the exhibition “Political art”, and gathered experiences relevant to both approaches. A new exhibition, opening on the 27th of August 2021, draws on all of these projects and experiences. It will be the most wide-spanning exhibition of contemporary political art that has ever been arranged.



Den politiske kunst (7/6-08/9)

Efter valget: 51 dage med politisk oprør på Læsø

Straks efter folketingsvalget udstiller nogle af de skarpeste profiler i Danmark og verden på den første gruppeudstilling herhjemme for politisk kunst.

Paparazzi Rat – Photographer Rat, 2003/2004  
Stencil and spray paint on plastic traffic bollard 
90 x 37 x 37 cm. 
  
Collection: Peter Hvidberg 

Kinesiske Ai WeiWei, britiske Banksy, svenske Lars Vilks og danske Firoozeh Bazrafkan er blandt de i alt 13 kunstnere udstillingen præsenterer.

“Politisk kunst repræsenterer både kampen og vaccinen mod den tavshedskultur, som findes i et ethvert samfund. Den politiske kunstner bryder tabuer ned, så vejene åbnes for udveksling af tanker og ideer mellem individer og mellem borgere og magthavere. Derfor er politisk kunst nødvendigt. Og derfor er denne udstilling nødvendig.” Sådan fortæller kunsthallens daglige leder, Jon Eirik Lundberg om baggrunden for udstillingen.

Truede kunstnere

Udstillingen har været længe undervejs, da man fra kunsthallens side har ønsket at samle nogle af de mest toneangivende navne inden for dette særlige område af kunstens verden. Ideen til udstillingen blev fostret i 2017, og denne sommer kulminerer arbejdet i en udstilling på 230 kvm. med politiske kunstnere fra hele verden, som har betalt for deres kunst med fængsling, bøder, overfald og mordtrusler. Arbejdet med udstillingen bragte kunsthallen i kontakt med London-gruppen Passion For Freedom, der har arrangeret en årlig udstilling med politisk kunst fra hele verden gennem ti år. Et af gruppens medlemmer, Agniezska Kolek, deltager i udstillingen på Læsø.

Formålet med udstillingen er at fortælle, hvad politisk kunst er, og at få folk til at reflektere over de reaktioner, den politiske kunst skaber hos dem selv og andre – og hvorfor. Kunsthallens leder Jon Eirik Lundberg fortæller, at udstillingen samtidig er en hyldest til de politiske kunstnere:

Afslører frihedens grænser

“Ligesom kanariefuglen i gamle dage, viste minearbejderne, hvornår ilten slap op, så synliggør den politiske kunstner, hvor grænserne for den fri debat går i et samfund. Den politiske kunstner styrker den enkeltes mulighed for at leve i frihed. I totalitære regimer lever kunstneren med sit eget liv og frihed som indsats, men selv i frie samfund på vores egne breddegrader ser vi, at han eller hun bliver overfaldet, truet og skammet ud. Vi ser ofte, at deres kunstværker – nogle gange bevidst – bliver tolket som konkrete politiske holdninger, og at kunstneren bliver taget til indtægt for holdninger, blot fordi de indgår som elementer i hans eller hendes kunstværk”, fortæller Jon Eirik Lundberg.

Provokerende kunst

Den politiske kunst forholder sig modsat mange andre kunstretninger meget konkret til samfundet og virker derfor ofte forstyrrende eller ligefrem provokerende på beskueren. Politiske kunstnere bliver da også tit misforstået som provokatører for provokationens skyld eller fortalere for en politisk agenda. Men der er stor forskel på politik og politisk kunst, og en af ambitionerne med udstillingen er netop at sætte fokus på forskellen, fortæller kunsthallens leder:

“Kunsten har ikke et defineret mål ligesom politik har det. Og mens politik handler om at levere svar, så er kunstens opgave at stille spørgsmål. Det er derfor, vi har brug for den politiske kunst. Vi skal – hvor provokerende det end måtte være – kunne forholde os til ethvert spørgsmål om vores samfund og holdninger uden altid at skulle give et svar.”

Udstillingen “Den politiske kunst” løber fra fredag den 7. juni til og med søndag den 28. juli 2019.

Følgende kunstnere deltager med værker:

  • Agnieszka Kolek (Polen/Storbritannien)
  • Ai WeiWei (Kina)
  • Banksy (Storbritannien)
  • Dan Park (Sverige)
  • Erik K. Christensen (Danmark)
  • Firoozeh Bazrafkan (Danmark/Iran)
  • Gongsan Kim (Nordkorea/USA)
  • Kristian von Hornsleth (Danmark)
  • Lars Vilks (Sverige)
  • Lina Hashim (Danmark/Irak)
  • The Nielsen Movement (Danmark)
  • Mimsy (Storbritannien)
  • Uwe Max Jensen (Danmark)

Udstillingen er generøst støttet af Statens Kunstfond, Knud Højgaards Fond, Fountainhead og Det Obelske Familiefond.