The Arts of Dissent: Art and Democracy vol. 2

In May of 2022, when the spread of COVID was finally coming to an end, The Arts of Dissent: Art and Democracy was held at the Chinretsukan Gallery of the Ueno Campus, Tokyo University of the Arts, as a response to the sudden changes that had occurred in global politics. One symbolic event was the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in February of that year, but this was preceded by the global spread of nationalism, ethnocentrism, racism and xenophobia. Amongst the rise of authoritarian states, political repression through violence, persecution of ethnic minorities, and the spread of fundamentalism, the exhibit tried to consider how art can become part of the discussion.

In particular, Israel’s attacks on Palestine, triggered by Hamas’ attacks on Israel last year, have since intensified, with many Palestinian civilians being killed. The polarization that has since occured makes it appear as if there is no longer a consensus that could be reached. Art is no exception: the debate over “anti-Semitism” that took place at Documenta 15 in 2021, has yet to be concluded. Nationalism and xenophobia are spreading, while the violent suppression of democracy by authoritarian states continues to intensify. In response, the art world also appears to have become dysfunctional with regard to politics. 

What can art do in such times? The Arts of Dissent: Art and Democracy vol. 2 aims to create a temporary space to discuss the relationship between politics, especially democracy, and art. Taking into account the recent discussions on art and democracy both within and beyond Japan, we welcome exhibitions, performances, discussions, and workshops to consider what could be done in this critical situation.

Artists / Projects:
Watermelon Alliance, dj sniff, Sacco Fujishima, Sasurai Shimai, Punk! The Revolution of Everyday Life, The Rebel Riot, Hideki Takasaki, Toru Kubota, Leonidas Martin, Larissa Wang, DANNY JIN, Docu Athan, Piotr Bujak, Inès Jasmin, Visit Palestine Project, Kazura Sunamori, and more

Dates: Jun 14 (Fri) – Jun 16 (Sun), 2024
Hours: 10:00 – 17:00
Place: 12-8 Ueno Koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8714
Phone: 050-5541-8600 (NTT Hello Dial)
Venue: Chinretsukan Gallery (The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts)
Organizers: Graduate School of Global Arts (GA), Tokyo University of the Arts – Yoshitaka Mori Lab & Tomoko Shimizu Lab