Fulda River in Kassel, Germany: Friday at noon a “Refugee Ship” with 80 copper sculptures of refugees will start touring the river. It is one of several art manifestations. The event marks the launching of the initiatives To Arrive Safely and Don’t Feed Your Inner Beast, along with the publication of the Manifesto on the Artist’s Role in a globalized world.

The initiatives are not a part of the official Documenta14. It is more of a wake-up call for the established art world to become an active player in the world’s development.

It is an example of how artists and NGOs can cooperate on the common cause. And it is a call to the established artist to use their visual influence to connect with NGOs and scientists to disrupt the public space. See manifesto here.

Behind the initiatives is the artist Jens Galschiot, and his organisation Art in Defence of Humanism (AIDOH).

THE CAMPAIGNS

The Refugee Ship and the campaign To Arrive Safely

“We, in the rich part of the world, have a responsability to receive people that flee from war and hunger”. Gerald Mennen – OUTLAW.die Stiftung.

This summer, the The Refugee Ship will be visiting over 24 German cities to raise awareness about the refugees knocking on Europe’s door, their plight, and our responsibility to help them.

With the sculpture installation and its 80 copper refugee sculptures the Mediterranean’s desperate refugees suddenly appear up close, to remind us of our human responsibility towards our fellow man.

According to the United Nations climate changes, that are primarily created by the western world, will in the next 40 years create over 200 million new refugees fleeing the ecological disasters happening in their homelands.

The sculptures and project are created by artist Jens Galschiøt (DK). The German organization OUTLAW.die Stiftung organizes the tour in Germany. In the different harbors there will be various cultural events like music and theatre, which will relate to the cause of Refugee awareness and their current situation.

“Don’t Feed Your InnerBeast”
 

Thousands of Inner Beasts will be handed out and put in public spaces. They will remind us to be aware of our ‘Inner beasts’ and treat fellow humans right.

‘Drowning’ Refugees (Sculptures)

 
The street art initiative kicks off with the opening of documenta14. Thousands of original My Inner Beast copper masks will be dealt out to all of Europe, they will be hung up in museums, newsrooms, and in the public space.

Together with the manifesto A CALL TO THE WORLD’S ARTISTS! The manifesto on the artists’ role in a globalized world. The initiative is a call to artists to share responsibility for the world’s betterment.

All journalists who participate in the press conference will receive a unique My Inner Beast-mask in copper to hang in their newsrooms, as the media is in their way complicit in feeding our inner beasts.

MANIFESTO

A Call to the World’s Artists
A manifesto on the artist’s role in a globalized world

Art’s voice is more necessary now than ever

The world is in disarray. The changing climate sets a course towards catastrophe for the future of our children. Social inequality is growing. Populists and notorious liars are closing in on democracy’and racism creeps forward from all corners.

Critical artistic utterances ring empty in museum’s halls while in praxis visual art’s voice is largely absent. Meanwhile NGOs, climate scientists, and humanists try desperately to communicate about complex issues like immigration, globalization, climate crisis, and populism.

Art can through its visual influence mediate life’s biggest questions. It can reinterpret the way we look at our world and create a new understanding. Therefore, the established artist must take responsibility to maintain our hold on civilization’s humanity.

Visual art must become an active player in our world’s development, and use its visual power to give voice to protests, manifestations, and to disrupt the public space.

Visual art must help scientists communicate and visualize results and data – thereby countering climate scepticism, populism, and ‘alternative facts’.

Artists must connect with NGOs fighting for a better world.

The established art world should show, that its relevance extends beyond the art institutions. That art is more than a lucrative vehicle, polished floors, exclusive, artsy language, and elitist projects.

Visual art must be the little boy in The Emperor’s New Clothes who reveals that the Emperor is completely naked. Right now artists are more likely to act like the King’s admiring followers. Art in Defence of Humanism (AIDOH.DK), June 9th, 2017
 

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