Your Silence Will Not Protect You

We live in a time in which the majority of the population is no longer optimistic about the future and feels overwhelmed, helpless and powerless in the face of current developments. Wars, economic crises, climate catastrophes, pandemics and exceptional humanitarian situations seem to have become 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 and are putting a lasting strain on the fundamental rights of our democratic societies.

Nobody wants to lose the comforts of a free and open society, but the fear of losing prosperity and prestige, the pressure to perform and optimize imposed on us by the media and the many distractions offered to us by the new media have led to apathy, speechlessness and an inability to act, among many other reasons. It seems as if Western societies have been transformed into tired societies that seem to have lost their political rebellion and social commitment. Standing up and standing up for democratic values means becoming visible and therefore vulnerable. Apparently, we are afraid to see clearly and to be seen clearly.

The title of the exhibition 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 every movement has the potential to bring about change. Together with others, she also clearly proclaimed that poetry and art are not an elitist luxury, but a necessity. The exhibition at the BRUSEUM ties in with the show “Freedom was an episode (tbc)” and poses questions in selected works about socio-political responsibility and attitude, about the scope of action of language and image and the role and potentiality of art.

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