IN CONTEXT
ANGER IS A GOOD MOTOR TO DO ART
Events — Oct 20, 2024
'Anger is a good motor to do art,' says Miriam Cahn. In these grim times of ultra-nationalism, war and climate catastrophes, there is plenty to be angry about, and the need for socially engaged art seems greater than ever. How do artists create space for their activism, and how does the museum play a part in this?
- Price
- Museumticket + 3 EU
If the ticket price prevents you from being able to take part in the program, please contact publicprogram@stedelijk.nl for a spot on the guest list. - Location
- Auditorium
- Time
- Oct 20, 1 pm until 3 pm
- Main language
- Dutch
- Admission
- Book ticket
During this program, several activist artists will show their work and talk about their motivations and the dilemmas they face. How far can they explore their activism within the walls of the museum or art school? What kind of pressure have they faced from both cultural institutions and activists about speaking up? How do they balance artistic freedom and ethical considerations?
With Matthijs de Bruijne (artist), Naaz (singer), Tina Farifteh (artist) and Naomi de Bruijn (artist).
Moderated by Jörgen Tjon A Fong.
About In Context
Art has always played an important role in igniting social debate. Given the rise of ultra-nationalism, xenophobia and climate crises, socially engaged art seems to be needed now more than ever. Does this mean that the museum is also a platform for protest and change? Can a museum promote social change without taking a stand itself? And to what extent should museums encourage visitors to confront and engage with social issues? Should the museum use disclaimers and trigger warnings to protect visitors, or simply let them deal with uncomfortable confrontations?
Rather than presenting simplistic answers, this program invites us to consider the role of art in society and the museum’s responsibility in this regard.
Biographies
Matthijs de Bruijne
Matthijs de Bruijne is an artist and his practice is closely associated with labor organizations such as the Dutch Union of Cleaners FNV. Earlier this year, following the appointment of PVV politician Martin Bosma as Speaker of the House of Representatives, he decided to decline a commission from the Chief Government Architect to create a work of art at the House of Representatives. De Bruijne lives and works in Amsterdam and Kassel.
Naaz
Naaz is a singer, producer, director and songwriter from Amsterdam. Growig up in a refugee family, Naaz faced overwhelming odds in the world of art. But her unique Kurdish roots couldn't hold her back. With tracks like Azadî and her Kurdish translation of Stromae's L'enfer, she has emerged as one of the most authentic and pure artists of the moment. With her songwriting hailed by music icons like Elton John, she is an inspiration to many.
Naomi de Bruijn
Naomi de Bruijn is an artist and teacher. Her practice is driven by a fascination for language in all its ambiguity and limitations. How should we act, she asks, when injustice is so loud and so conspicuously present? The street is her research domain. Which sounds and movements can be found there?
Tina Farifteh
Tina Farifteh is a visual artist whose work is poised at the intersection of art, politics, and philosophy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and a Master’s from the Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Her interest in particular, lies in what makes us human and how human life can become a plaything for politics. Farifteh reflects on the impact of power structures on the lives of ordinary people. She wants to tempt us into looking at topics that we rather avoid because they are complicated or uncomfortable.
In her audiovisual installation The Flood (2021-ongoing) she dissects right-wing, populist rhetoric and how refugees are dehumanised and framed as a ‘natural disaster’. In her short documentary Kitten or Refugee? (Prospektor / VPRO 2023), she investigates our human capacity for empathy, and its limits. In tandem with these projects, she is developing Tina in Sexbierum, a transmedia project on displacement, detachment, assimilation, loss and longing for a home. The Flood won several prizes, among others The Royal Academy Bachelor Award and Meestervertellers 2023. Kitten or Refugee? was selected for the Debut Competition of the Dutch Film Festival, and won the 1st prize for Storytelling at De Zilveren Camera.
Jörgen Tjon A Fong
Jörgen Tjon A Fong is the director of the Kleine Komedie. After studying at the theater school in Amsterdam, he completed a master's degree at the University of London, after which he started his career in the theater world. With his company Urban Myth he produced performances that made a powerful connection between shared history and current social themes. Tjon A Fong has collaborated with various companies, including International Theater Amsterdam. In 2019, in collaboration with the Amsterdam Museum, he initiated the much-discussed exhibition Dutch Masters Re-Seeing in the Hermitage. This exhibition led to a national debate about the use of the term 'The Golden Age'. He was subsequently involved in various exhibitions in, among others, the Rijksmuseum, Kunsthal and The Rembrandt House. Tjon A Fong aims to give a variety of voices and stories a platform.
This program is the first of a three-part series In Context about the complex relationship between art, activism and the museum. The other two programs will take place on November 9 and December 15. For more information click here.