Your Silence Will Not Protect You 

We live in an age in which the majority of the population is no longer optimistic about the future, feeling instead overwhelmed, helpless and powerless in the face of current developments. Wars, economic crises, climate catastrophes, pandemics and humanitarian emergencies seem to have solidified into a permanent global crisis.

The fears and worries that this creates are the breeding ground for nationalist and authoritarian tendencies, which are now being expressed bluntly and openly, placing a lasting strain on the fundamental rights of our democratic societies.

No one wants to lose the comforts of a free and open society, but the fear of losing prosperity and prestige, the pressure to perform and optimise imposed on us by the media and the many distractions offered by the new media have, among many other reasons, resulted in apathy, dumb silence and an inability to act. It seems as if Western societies have been transformed into tired societies that have apparently lost their spirit of political rebellion, their sense of social commitment. We are evidently afraid to see clearly – and to be seen clearly.

The exhibition title is borrowed from the famous essay ‘The Transformation Of Silence Into Language And Action’ by Audre Lorde. Lorde, a black lesbian writer, activist, mother, fighter and feminist, has made it clear that poetry and art can be revolutionary because they can touch and move us and because every movement has the potential to bring about change. She also clearly proclaimed, together with others, that poetry and art are not an elitist luxury, rather a necessity.

The exhibition at the BRUSEUM follows on from the show Freedom Was an Episode (tbc) and poses questions through selected works about socio-political responsibility and attitude, about how much can be achieved through language and image, and the role and potential of art.

Participating artists: Günter Brus, Maria Legat, Anna Vasof, among others.