Democracy: a piece of art

 By Verónica Luisa Gregochuk Rojas

(7th semester Social Communication student, Democracy, Citizenship and Education elective)

As I write this, Jhon Fitzgerald has spent 40 hours with his mouth sewn shut. The Colombian artist started a hunger strike in the center of the country's capital to protest against the multiple massacres occurring in many regions of our country during the past month and the harsh reality artists have been suffering throughout the pandemic. A sign, right next to him, says: “¡Hoy muere un artista y se levanta un pueblo!” ("Today an artist rises and a people rises!"). Many people on social media got freaked out by this performance. Hundreds and hundreds of comments exploded criticizing his actions. Is Jhon Fitzgerald crazy? He probably is. But his work is, literally, a piece of art. 

"Art is political”, said Delia Cancela, an Argentinian pop artist and fashion designer. Every piece, from a drawing of a daisy to a tragic romantic novel, makes a statement about the world. Artists don’t need to be affiliated to any political ideology or party, but their art, as a reflection of themselves, takes a stand on what’s going on in a particular time and space and has an active consequence to it. There’s no way of breaking the bond an artist has with his/her community: it’s always talking to them and about them. It means that art has the power to construct or deconstruct citizenship and it does it in a very spiritual way. 

Art has the ability of touching the deepest corners of our souls and taking our breath away. You might be amazed by the beauty of it, or you might feel disturbed to the point of wanting to look away. Either way, art is creating a reaction.  Something happens when a person stands in front of a painting, or finishes the last sentence of a book, or watches the climax of a movie. It’s the beginning of a conversation. Maybe that’s the function of art: starting a reflection by stimulating an emotion.  Fitzgerald’s performance is inspiring for some as a meaningful cry of desperation from a broken country. While for others it’s just a cry for the media’s attention. Either way, it generates something in the viewer and creates a reaction.

In terms of democracy, I believe art is the purest expression of it. Democracy, understood as a political legal system is based on the idea that we are all equally different and we can find political representation through embracing our diversity. Art, not only by acting on behalf of freedom of speech, but as a cultural platform that reaches millions of people, acts as the voice of those who are unheard. It gives representation to another’s pain and joy. Picasso’s Guernica is an example of this as an anti-war statement. It’s a symbolic response to the bombing of Guernica by Nazis and Fascists, and the suffering brought by the Spanish Civil War.  Picasso exposed, in his own geometrical way, the pain of war. This is something artists have been doing since the beginning of time, from Greek theaters during the Dionysia festival talking about power, love and tragedies, to Banksy’s graffiti calling out slave labor,  technological dependence or advocating for the freedom of Zehra Doğan, a Turkish journalist, artist, and activist sentenced to prison for denouncing state security forces' abuses. Theater, painting, literature, and film making shape truth. 

Part of art being democratic can be seen in the capacity artists have to give up their bodies in order for others to see through them. This is what Regina Galindo, a Guatemalan visual artist, does to talk about gender violence, impunity, corruption and loss.  She is her work’s object and subject. During her conceptual performances, she intervenes her body. Perra was born after the appearance of several female bodies in 2005 who were tortured and marked with a knife with texts such as “malditas perras, muerte a todas las perras”, before being brutally killed. Guatemala, similar to most Latin cultures, is extremely patriarchal and has the third highest number of registered femicides in the world. In 2019, over 2,000 women were killed for being women. 

Regina, as a direct witness of this problem, carved the word “perra” on her leg with a knife. She did it with the intention of taking control of the situation, by adopting a word used commonly as an insult and turning it into an expression of resistance. She gave her body, her leg, her blood and skin to the female bodies found tortured as a way of saying they are not being forgotten and their deaths, as with most femicides, are the causes for our fight. Art, in this way, visualizes the struggle by showing the rawness of pain. Media just says what happens and, in some cases, they find a way to make the victim responsible for their tragedy. Instead, art embraces those women by creating an outrageous reaction in the spectator, not a passive one. Art, always needing the spectator to complete its function, starts a deep conversation about reality. The feeling the person is left with is, in many cases, the starting line to fight for a non-violent, equal and fair system. 

Art as a social process is also a path for healing. In 2017 the MAMBO presented an exhibition called Ríos y Silencios by Juan Manuel Echavarria. His purpose was to get out of the city and present the geography of the war though his lens. He showed abandoned schools to visualize the problem war has caused for education and children’s development. The artist, working with the Puntos de Encuentro Foundation, wanted to show forced displacement and the savage massacres that occurred during the Colombian conflict by asking ex-combatants to paint their stories. They drew death, and used colors to express loneliness and fear. Next to the drawing there were written testimonies. I went to that exhibition and I remember stopping by a drawing with many babies soaked in blood. I can’t remember who did it or which side of the war she was fighting on. I just remember reading her story, and how she was forced to have abortions because kids were not allowed in the camps. As she painted, she mourned her babies. From the moment I saw it, I understood the conflict from a place of common loss and pain. I understood that in Colombia no one won.  

Democracy functions if we, as governed, understand ourselves as one. Embracing our diversity, we are called to a dialogue in order to build the country we dream of. Art as a way of sitting us down around the table to express emotions and worries, functions as a way to connect with each other. When we connect, we are able to see beyond those differences and use feelings as a universal language. Art not only creates that connection between the spectator and the painting, the artist, the representation of reality, the context and the problem, but it visualizes those problematic questions we should all be working on as a society. This is why art is fundamental for development. 

I was thinking about all of this when I saw a project called Un Canto x Colombia. It was a massive event created by journalists, writers, singers, activists and all kinds of artists who had the privilege of living in a world where their voices are heard. They took advantage of their platform to draw attention to the wave of violence our country has been suffering lately. They sang songs about the conflict, they read testimonies of the victims and they played instruments to the rhythm of pain. They talked for every Colombian who feels the same way. It was not about criticizing the government or promoting a specific political party.  They knew what they were doing was still a political statement, but they were speaking up in the name of peace. I saw the transmission; we were over 50,000 Colombians watching it. It was a democratic way of bringing together citizenship and recognizing our emotions in others.  

By the time I am wrapping up my words and polishing some details, Jhon Fitzgerald has passed over 90 hours with his mouth sewed. Thanks to him people are talking about the working conditions artists are going through. Thanks to artists like Regina we are talking louder than ever about feminism. Thanks to the Colombian artists who participated in the event we are feeling closer, even though we are still apart. Thanks to Banksy, Picasso, Echavarria and all those artists who show the world in such a brave way I keep having faith that democracy will continue being constructed, one brushstroke at a time. 

The importance of art in the reconstruction of society: Africa

By Sofía Alvis Valderrama 

(8th semester FIGRI student, Democracy, Citizenship and Education elective)

Someone once said “art is a reflection of a society because it shows the soul of the artist”. Now, imagine that this soul is taken from people's bodies for the purpose of demonstrating power over them. That is the history of art in Africa. 

Africa is the cradle of the world: according to recent studies, the origin of humanity can be traced to southern Africa, around modern-day Botswana 200,000 years ago (Garvan Institute for Medical Research of Sydney in National Geographic, 2019). Since that date, and due to different migratory waves, human beings have migrated to different parts of the world, leaving aside that origin. However, Africa today preserves that essence, since it is a continent full of cultural wealth, natural resources and people who remind us of the humanity that we have lost generation by generation. But, sadly, that wealth has made many want to take advantage. This is known as the curse of resources or the paradox of plenty.

Between 1884 and 1885 the Berlin Conference was held, convened by the then Chancellor of Germany, Otto von Bismark, and this had the sole purpose of dividing Africa into portions that were convenient for the colonizers: United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the Ottoman Empire, and Germany, among others. From that moment the history of Africa changed forever, because although this colonization was not so long in terms of time, it left scars that even today cannot be erased. This is because in this "cutting up of the cake" it was not considered that people lived there, that there were ethnic groups, conflict, cultures and legacy. I think for this reason, this colonization process was so violent, because the colonizers never considered that they were dealing with a populated continent. 

African societies, despite their diversity, agree on the importance of belonging, the importance of being part of a group. In fact, from there the reason for slavery is explained. I think we have all wondered how a race could be subjected to slavery and never oppose it, but experts say that that this is because for Africans their community comes first. It even comes above the idea of oneself, which indicates that it does not matter if a person loses their life , as long as their community transcends and keeps its legacy.

But what to do if that legacy is taken from one moment to the next? As several African artists affirm, a people whose legacy is taken away is a people whose strength and soul are taken away. It then becomes a people who are easy to subdue. And it seems that this was the logic of European colonizers, who after colonizing and massacring the local people (as can be seen in the image), took their pieces of art to Europe as trophies. This is the case, for example, with the Tangue of Cameroon. 

Representation of the conquest of Cameroon by Germans. Resource taken from DW.

To begin to contextualize this beautiful piece of art, it should be noted that the conception of art in Africa is different. African art has a spiritual connotation, in fact, it has become known as ritual art. As indicated by an African writer, observing art is a European cultural aspect. Now, the Tangué comes from a tradition in which the elite families of Douala, Cameroon, carry out canoe races. The importance of the Tank here is that the day before the race, a ritual is done in which the Tangué is added to the canoe and this gives the winner good luck.

During the colonization of Cameroon by Germany in 1884, the colonizers massacred the people and as a way to show their power they stole all their art, among these and to represent power even over the elite, they took the Tangue of Lock Priso, the head of the royal Bele Bele family and gave it to the Munich Museum. This piece of art is still there, despite the fact that the Bele Bele family has tried in many ways to get their art back. Many consider art to be embodied in these ethnological museums, when they should be reminding current and future generations of their cultural heritage.

Tangué from Lock Priso. Resource taken from DW.

 Regrettably, this is not an isolated situation. It is estimated that 95% of African art is found outside of Africa, in Europe and North America, in ethnographic museums, in which only 5% of their entire collection has been exhibited. Among this and other reasons, Africans demand that museums must return art that was stolen from them during colonization.

The response of the museums to these demands is that more than a decision by themselves, the restitution of art is a political decision and therefore the only way that they could be returned to their continent of origin is through being loaned back. But isn't this illogical? To steal something from someone and then lend it back to them so they can see it again?

On the other hand, many African artists argue that while Africans today need to know their culture, Africa is not ready for this restitution of art. 

First, they argue that Africa currently has more pressing problems, such as poverty, famine and preserving life. This argument is very valid, but as its opponents state, the colonial inferiority complex that this period has left will not end until the wounds in society's soul begin to heal. 

The second point is that Africa does not have the space to house the art that is to be restored. However, as many indicate, African art is not something to just be seen, it is to be held and felt. Therefore, it must travel the world, to travel its own continent. It is interesting to think that many artists consider that the fact that the art was stolen gave African art the opportunity to travel and show the world that they are not monkeys who live in the trees, but people with a cultural background worthy of being known. 

A third argument is that African societies are not ready to receive art and therefore would tend to sell it to interested Europeans and Americans, since art is not a priority for Africans. The counter argument to this is that it is false: Africa breathes culture. Its 56 countries are forged around culture, but they cannot continue to understand their ancestral culture because they do not even know what their art looks like, and so they are deprived of the legacy of their ancestors.

Finally, and as a reflection, I consider that the restitution of this stolen art, more than a political act, is an act of respect for the other, of understanding that there is an entire continent that is being denied the possibility of connecting with their ancestors, and to feel through these works of art a sense of belonging to this world. The fact that European countries want to continue to tie Africa to a dependence through art, seems to me the cruelest form of neocolonialism. This also makes me think about the impact of the colonial past in Latin America. Latin America does not only have a colonial past, it has a colonial legacy, a legacy that has been absorbed in our culture, to the point that we do not feel we are Western and that we see the indigenous people, our natives, as different to us. And in terms of art it is much worse, because we do not feel an identification with our indigenous peoples, nor with our colonial legacy, which leads me to think: Where do we belong? Where is our legacy? Where does the soul of our society rest?

Resources

DW (2020). Colonial art: The case of a piece stolen from Cameroon. DW. https://www.dw.com/en/colonial-art-the-case-of-a-piece-stolen-from-cameroon/a-54783942

National Geographic (2019). El origen de la humanidad. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/ciencia/origen-humanidad-se-traslada-sur-africa-hace-200000-anos_14873

The democratization of art

by María Alejandra Pérez Cruz 

(6th semester Social Communication and Journalism Faculty, Democracy, Citizenship and Education elective)

To be perfectly honest I am absolutely scared of how this paper/reflection will turn out, well, not scared of it itself, but scared that my opinions and reflections will not be understandable. I start this with notes by my side, an idea in my head but perfectly knowing myself and how much I tend to think and to ramble around the things that amaze me, scare me, sadden me and just make me wonder. I honestly think this introduction is already going off-topic and coming off as tangled and complicated, but I wanted to warn you that my ideas and perspectives are quite a lot, I tend to contradict and debate myself even though I am not that illiterate about this topic. At least I am passionate, and I hope that is somehow enough. I hope this is not boring for you!

Now, thinking about what to write was complicated at first, I thought of starting with something close to me and my experiences that are the LGBT+ rights and the issues that revolve around gender, then I considered consumerism and how capitalism and communism are terrible ideas, I also thought about this recent fascination I got with anarchy and maybe how it could work (which has nothing and everything to do with democracy). But in the end, Paul’s chat [Paul Stewart, guest speaker in the elective] ended up captivating me and creating endless questions in my head which I will present here although I’m not sure I can promise an answer to all of them.

How art has been taken away from us

Who is art for? This is an actual question that many people think has a simple answer, but nothing is farther from the truth. Personally, I think this question should not even exist. I consider art is made for everyone, yet not many people believe this. For most people, art is something that belongs in museums, something kept from the rest of the world in crystal cases. Art is pretty, historical, expensive, aristocratic, just for “educated” people, just for the ones who “get it”. We have a distant concept of art, of what “true” art means and it ends up meaning that art is something exclusive when it should not be.

The truth is that we are never educated in the importance of art in our lives. As adults we even think of it as something childish or something that is “only meant for artists or creative people”; it is often dismissed as unimportant and vain. We are taught that those are pretty things, yet not actually valuable. Kids everywhere around the world are discouraged when they say they want to pursue a career in the arts, and as adults are ashamed of doing so.

So, art is either something extremely valuable that we cannot touch or something vain and stupid that is not worthy of our attention. Both problems end up in people believing that art has nothing to do with them, and in this context we can establish that art is not a democratized concept. Is that a problem? Yes, a big one, I think.

What art “truly” means

What is art and who is it for? People who are very important in this area might say that art is not for everyone, people like art critics or high caliber artists could say that art is not something everyone can do or understand. Thoughts like these reinforce the idea that art just belongs in museums and that it only concerns a very specific part of society.

Now, why is this a big problem? First, let’s quickly look at some definitions of the word art. The fourth definition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary says: “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects''. The Lexico dictionary, powered by Oxford, offers this definition: “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power”. I personally like the second one better. Art is a complicated word to define because it involves something as complex and powerful as the human soul and its emotion.

From that point it is important to explain that effectively, the art is human itself, and it concerns every human from an almost natural instinct. We react to everything that moves us from the interior, just like art usually does. Art carries a message, a message that is not related to how cultured we are: it has to do with how our soul reacts to it.

So is art only for certain people when it has so much to do with our inner self and our most human part?

Why art should be democratized

Should art be taught at schools, at home, in universities, in the streets? I think yes, it should be everywhere, not only with a design/aesthetic purpose. As I said before, art has so much to do with our inner self, so it connects with our sensitivity to the greatest degree.

Art makes us sensitive.

We get more empathic and thoughtful when we connect with our sensitive selves. We become more human, dare I say. That is why we need to normalize and spread the concept of art. Art has power, as a message, as an opinion, as a collective thought, and as a humanizer. Art makes us thoughtful and compassionate, and shouldn’t something like that is taught everywhere and be accessible for all of us?

An individual process took to democratic action

Paul struck me with a matter that took me by surprise. He said, “can art be really democratic when it comes as a result of an individual process?”. I didn’t understand at first, then I got it. The problem is that art is something normally done by individuals. Of course, there are projects made by several people, but it is still a common thing that art is done by one person. So, how democratic is something done by someone by themselves?

It is funny because lately I have been thinking about the role of the individual in a democratic society. I think that in the end, we are all individuals trying to get along and figuring out what is best for everyone.

Being aware of us as individuals is important for everyone else. When we think of ourselves as important, when we recognize our rights, we get to see ourselves reflected in others. Just like the topic of sensitivity and how art makes us more sensitive, this being applied to us as individuals is important. We get recognized, by ourselves and by others, and that has the power to encourage us to work for that, for us and for a community.

In that moment I was at a loss of time and words talking with Paul, but now I recognize that individuality is not an antonym of democracy, it is an important part of it.

Art as a political intention

One of the most important aspects of art is the potential to convey a message. Art is a powerful vehicle of significance, and it is usually used by individuals so it can spread information, or educate about a topic, even make people uncomfortable, because art is not always meant to be pretty and appealing, the intention goes beyond and tries to connect with a feeling, and the power that holds is immeasurable.

Here in Colombia many artists use their work to convey political and powerful messages like Doris Salcedo. Not only her but many graffiti artists in the streets of the city who try to claim their culture, to expose their stories, to expose their problems; ot also musicians that express the struggle, the unfairness, the beauty and the claim for change in their songs and compositions; there are also amazing writers poets that display in their verses the truths that many are afraid to say out loud, or that will reach places far away from home carrying this power and this intention. Artisans that preserve and live from their culture, spreading their art to the rest of the country. Children that learn about their history, about their communities through these expressions.

Art is a very powerful tool to carry emotion and to end up in something bigger, in something collective, in a place to learn and to feed.

For communities

We can also consider art as a preserver and a claimer. I think that everyone should be able to share their wonderful work into the world for everyone to admire, especially when this brings a spotlight to those communities that are often dismissed as unimportant or worthless.

Art is an eternal story-teller for the future generations, for people to be reminded of their roots, of their place of origin and of what is worth preserving in this world that keeps running forward. Art has a special ability to save in time all that sometimes we want but shouldn’t forget.

Also, art should be a very important part of education. Regardless of the age and of the career, everyone should learn about art and about the importance of keeping it alive inside of us. If we start teaching children about this, about how art can be their most effective and powerful, not weapon, but tool, they will develop this special care for themselves, for their emotions, for their history and for others.

How to take action

How can we give art the place it deserves among us? I think it would be important to start at home. Right now I’m thinking of my little cousin, and how much I value technology and its potential, but how much I want him to get his hands dirty with some paint, how amused he gets with colors and how great it is that his parents are musicians and that he’s constantly trying to play some instruments with them. Every kid should be like that.

We can start encouraging people to be creative, to learn how it is impossible to make mistakes when it comes to art. Kids who like to draw, to paint, to sing, to sew should be proud of it instead of thinking it is a worthless ability that won’t be worth it in the future. Sure, I think that art should not only exist in museums, but I think they are highly valuable places that everyone should know and visit. We should go to museums and support independent art. We can help someone by telling them how good their art is, we can teach how a piece can be for everyone, we can support our movements with art.

 

I think there are many things we can do with art and for art, because in the end art is something almost natural to humans, we should embrace it and use it, we should all have access to its power and beauty.