Apr 24, 202310 min read

Critical Review. Contemporary Art, Killing The Inner Fascist

Updated: Jul 1, 2023

I. War

One human is killing another.

In February 2022, the country that I consider my home nation launched an armed invasion that resulted in the death of thousands of people. Celebrating erudition, intelligence, tolerance, life, culture, aesthetics and beauty, this event took me by horror in my studio in Germany.

Discussing what is happening with my relatives and friends in Russia, and even some people in Europe, I was frankly surprised that they support violent and aggressive actions committed in their name - "Russian". These made me want to understand and analyze such behaviour – how can someone support the war?

Since I have had the opportunity to study in different counties and get acquainted with the international art scene, I want to trace the connection between the mass support of Putin and the stagnation of contemporary art in Russia. Because I believe that contemporary art plays a huge role in the development of critical thinking in society.

I will try to be objective, to criticize and analyze only myself, but no one else. I understand that there can be nothing worse than the death of people that is now happening in Ukraine, but in my opinion, something irreparable is happening, which could lead to the death of all life on earth.

Moreover, I would like to understand whether it is possible that an artist could change something in this regard.

II. Role of the artist

1. History. Artist - from the executor to freethinker

Since the beginning of humanity, art has always reflected the events of war and aggression. In ancient times, artists worked for rulers who wanted to celebrate victory or capture the facts of an event. The relationship between artists and the war begun with the fact that the artist did not have their own voice, therefore, so to speak, the artist was led by rich and powerful people as they commissioned the works and therefore messages.

Ramses II during the battle, shown slaying one enemy while trampling another (from relief inside his Abu Simbel temple). Late May 1274 BC Online. At: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Egypt_Abou_Simbel6.jpg (Accessed 25.10.2022)

With this in mind only during the Renaissance, more artists appeared who freely expressed their opinions. To illustrate this, Hieronymus Bosch was one of the artists, who began to think outside the artistic borders of that time.

Hell panel from The Garden of Earthly Delights. It is alleged that Bosch's self-portrait is in the upper centre at right under the "table". Online. At: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieronymus_Bosch#/media/File:Hieronymus_Bosch_-_The_Garden_of_Earthly_Delights_-_Hell.jpg (Accessed 25.10.2022)

Bosch just sharply asked a question about the reality of our world, about what awaits us after death and our creative potential. He publicly criticized and ridiculed for example, if this is a church worker kissing a man, then in the form of a pig…

Detail. Hell panel from The Garden of Earthly Delights. It is alleged that Bosch's self-portrait is in the upper centre at right under the "table". Online. At: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieronymus_Bosch#/media/File:Hieronymus_Bosch_-_The_Garden_of_Earthly_Delights_-_Hell.jpg (Accessed 25.10.2022)

If this is a killer, then this is an animal, a human cannot do this…

And the one sitting supreme just eats people…

Hieronymus Bosch is one of the first artists who dared to challenge the foundations of stereotypes to express his opinion, albeit in such a veiled form, be critical of ruling people and all of this in a period of church dominance and political convictions.

Above all, the changes that have taken place in the history of art - the artist became a free thinker and his works mirror the society. Now the artist does not fulfil the orders of the ruling elites, but expresses his mind and can influence the opinions of others.

2. Our days. Artist - from a freethinker to a patriot

Propaganda - information, ideas, opinions, or images, often only giving one part of an argument, that are broadcast, published, or in some other way spread with the intention of influencing people's opinions Cambridge Dictionary Online. At: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/propaganda (Accessed 28.03.2023)

I would like to give examples of propaganda first with the times of Stalin.

This Soviet propaganda poster was published during the second world war. It reads: 'Will give everything for the front!' Photograph: Leonard de Selva/Corbis Online. At: https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2014/jun/09/soviet-propaganda-art-posters-in-pictures (Accessed 25.10.2022)

In contrast, here is another new visual culture that is currently being circulated in the Russian Federation.

Radio Svoboda. Mobilization for annexation 21 September 2022 Online. At: https://www.svoboda.org/a/32044600.html (Accessed 28.03.2023)

Under Stalin, Hitler attacked the Soviet Union, while the Russians defended themselves. With this addition, it turns out that the above examples of propaganda posters carry completely different connotations.

In the first case, this is, as it were, the motivation of saving own country from attack. In the second case, it is the conscription of the Russian population for military service for an attack on the other country. But in my opinion, regardless of any provocation or political circumstances, the outbreak of war cannot be justified. To understand this one needs to have a simple sense of empathy, or love for life, or call it how you want. But the Putin regime is so terrible that his propaganda simply denies empathy and replaces the concept of defence with an attack.

Equivocal, 2023, recycled newspapers, acrylic, water-based fixatives, plaster on canvas, 118 x 118 x 13 cm. with the left and right points of view

Working in the studio, I tried to find a wordless model for interpreting these two points of view, but with this "love of life." Inspired by optical research and discoveries of kinetic and op artists, I invite the viewer to be physically involved in perceiving the work and move from one side to the other. In other words, we get the effect of "The 9/6 Perspective" where from the left for the viewer will be 9 (in my case one colour), and for the other, it will be 6 (and the opposite colour). I leave one question open here - how to be with a colour that includes everything at the moment when you are standing in front of the artwork? For me, this is empathy, love for life.

Video of the work: https://youtu.be/C2V0jLc_-NQ

To that end, empathy, as well as learning critical thinking and the definition of an imposed opinion (propaganda) comes from the built system of society, education and self-development of each person. Art education takes a great role here but since the artist is a part of society, he is equally subject to general trends and moods. Therefore the role of the artist becomes rather patriotic due to an imposed opinion of the government. The concept of a happy personal life is replaced by the idea of the military power of the state. The artist instead of training critical thinking, questioning old norms, looking for one's own voice or something new in art, be a rebel in the end, calls for glorifying traditions, and national ideas, producing like everyone else and rejecting dissent and foreign, afraid to speak his mind.

Similarly, in the course of my creative path, I encountered this behaviour in my actions.

III. Artist raised in Russia

When an artist starts to work, he will definitely try different materials. While researching this, I found that I choose not intended for making art - newspapers, used wooden boards, cardboard etc. because of the rejection of the system that brought me up. (see link here https://www.marinawittemann.com/post/project-2-body-of-work-aesthetic-choice )

Rack, 2023, recycled wood, fur; acrylic paint, screws, plaster, 73 x 53 x 39 cm.

1. Likewise, I doubted the dominance of academic paintings, so I decided for myself that art is not meant to be beautiful or that it had to please. Art is designed to instigate interest and raise questions. And if I do not agree to work with conventional materials, this does not mean that I am betraying the traditions of art.

2. Not only denial made me work with recycled objects or building materials, but also the desire to be different. For a long time, it seemed to me that the artist is - an oil painting on canvas. I feared trying different materials. Or maybe I did just not know how to approach them. Or was it just convenient to do what I already knew?

3. and 4. During my studies in Moscow, there was a strong cult of traditions. I was not allowed to do something abstract or try to cut the canvas and paint it. I had to follow the regulations and precise rules of academic painting. Therefore, after moving from Moscow to Sao Paulo in 2016, for a long time, I was rejecting the possibility of studying in the modern art system because there was no traditional system. I experienced, as I see it now, breaking stereotypes.

5. Not to mention that action for the sake of action did not help me advance mentally and qualitatively in what I was doing. But by critically thinking about my work, and analyzing it, I began to create better outcomes. For example, in the work "On the Streets" I study and analyze step by step each decision made, forming the final result. A detailed study can be found here: https://www.marinawittemann.com/post/project-2-body-of-work-aesthetic-choice

On the streets, 2023, recycled wood, cardboard, newspapers; acrylic paint, screws, glue, 37 x 48 x 21 cm.

6. Moreover, in the process of finding my unique artistic voice, I repeatedly returned to the situation of melancholy and suffering in Russian culture. Over time, I realized that "life for struggle" somehow came from my past, because in Europe is the opposite - a cult of joy and enjoyment of life - Savoir Vivre (fr.). This state of mind is reflected in my works even though I often show drama, anguish, decay, and oppression. For example my recent work:

At home, 2023, recycled wood, metal, concrete, burlap, copper-coated paper, cardboard, newspapers; acrylic paint, sand, screws, nails, 63 x 72 x 66 cm.

7. Furthermore, for a contemporary artist, to understand his place in art, he needs to attend as many diverse art events as possible. Here, I want to draw attention to the fact that Russia simply did not pay enough attention to the contemporary art scene. The middle class (I was here), who went to museums, but had no money and seldom the opportunity to travel abroad, existed in a closed culture where until almost 2000 (in 1999, the first Museum of Modern Art was opened in Moscow) expressionist paintings (1910-1930) were considered modern.

All things considered, on my own example and artistic practice we traced the path of becoming a contemporary artist. Above all, these (highlighted in italics in the text) are also seven points from the essay of Umberto Eco "How to spot a fascist". In 1995, the Italian writer published "Ur-Fascism" which identified fourteen signs of fascism. «But all you need is one of them to be present, and a Fascist nebula will begin to coagulate» (Eco, 2020 p. 16):

1. The cult of tradition,

2. The rejection of modernism,

3. The cult of action for action's sake, without the critical attitude,

4. Disagreement is betrayal,

5. Fear of difference,

6. Appeal to a frustrated middle class,

7. Obsession with a conspiracy and xenophobia,

8. Fascist societies rhetorically cast their enemies as "at the same time too strong and too weak".

9. Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy because "life is permanent warfare"

10. Contempt for the weak, popular elitism,

11. Everybody is educated to become a hero, which leads to the embrace of a cult of death.

12. Machismo - rejection of non-standard sexual behaviour.

13. Selective populism – individuals have no rights, and the “people” is conceived of as a monolithic entity

14. Newspeak - the use of garbled words. For example, in modern Russia, a new word Geyropa has appeared.

Seven of these points I detected in my own behaviour. And now when I'm working on this essay, I didn't realize that the culture I grew up in endowed me with these qualities. But due to my desire to develop, I have worked on these points in my mind and through my artistic practice. Also, fundamental changes followed from the experience of living in different countries and cultures.

IV. Conclusions

All things considered, the most compelling conclusion is that I worked out and eliminated each of the 7 points on my own not realizing that there were signs of fascism in my thinking. And I did all this through the study and practice of Contemporary Art.

Despite this, answering my question if an artist could change something in this regard – I say yes. I can be kind, and respond to aggression with intelligence, not retaliate with power or aggression. Spread the art that teaches critical thinking and empathy. Take care of the "Ecology of Mind" - this is the concept of creating and distributing such works of art that provoke the untrained viewer to critical thinking without alienating them from contemporary art. (see here https://www.marinawittemann.com/post/parallel-project-through-the-relational-aesthetics-to-the-individual-ecology-of-mind)

Between, 2023, recycled newspapers, acrylic, water-based fixatives, plaster on canvas, 140 x 195 x 14 cm. with the left and right points of view

Video of the work: https://youtu.be/2bPi_3Tz16c

Nevertheless, there are signs of fascism where you do not expect them, and it is right to start "cleansing" oneself. Furthermore, it turns out that the existing environment in society cannot educate a critically thinking person or free artist if the apparatus of the state is not properly designed, starting with education and ending with family relations. Even if modern artists are endowed with the talent and gift to create, this is not enough to protect them against propaganda and make them critical thinkers. To that end, the presence and the spread of contemporary art clearly reflect the state of society. The ability to express one's point of view, to criticize and speak openly is evidence of a healthy democratic life.

Not to say anything of people belonging to a specific cultural space, defined through history, education and influenced by political forces, can be brought to support and justify any action, even war. Likewise, as we have seen from the signs of fascism, the death cult described by Umberto Eco and arising from society's premises will not be able to save the planet from a devastating nuclear strike.

Bibliography and references

1. SEBASTIAN HAFFNER, GESCHICHTE EINES DEUTSCHEN. Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart & München 2000. Ivan Limbach Publishing. St. Petersburg 2016 (Russian)

2. Karl Jaspers Die Schuldfrage Von der politischen Haftung Deutschlands. Piper München, Zürich 1965. Moscow Progress Publishing Group (1999) Translated from German by S. Apt

3. Viktor Frankl. 1946 Man in search of meaning. Москва «Прогресс» 1990

4. Albert Schweitzer. CULTURE AND ETHICS Translated by N.A. Zakharchenko and G.V. Kolshansky General edition and foreword by prof. V.A. Karpushina. Moscow: "Progress", 1973 Albert Schweitzer. Culture and Ethik. Munich, 1960 Russian [online] At: https://psylib.org.ua/books/shvei01/index.htm ((Accessed 30.05.2023)

5. Avant-Garde and Kitsch. Art and Culture. CRITICAL ESSAYS Clement Greenberg BEACON PRESS BOSTON First published by Beacon Press in 1961

6. Modernist Painting. Clement Greenberg: The Collected Essays and Criticism vol. 4, ed. John OʼBrian, 1993. From: http://www.sharecom.ca/greenberg/modernism.html (Last access 21 July 07)

7. War and art, a visual history of modern conflict 2017 edited by Joanna Bourke. Reaktion books, London

8. How Art Can Heal BY GIRIJA KAIMAL Nonverbal therapy helps people work through trauma and build resilience. [online] At: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/how-art-can-heal (Accessed 27.10.2022)

9. The Art World. March 21, 2022 Issue Art in a Time of War By Peter Schjeldahl [online] At: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/03/21/art-in-a-time-of-war (Accessed 28.10.2022)

10. ANDREY TARKOVSKY. TIME RECORDED Texts. 12/17/19 Andrei Tarkovsky Rus. [online] At: https://kinoart.ru/texts/andrey-tarkovskiy-zapechatlennoe-vremya (Accessed 28.10.2022)

11. Umberto Eco, 2020 How to Spot a Fascist. Harvill Secker

Critical Review. Contemporary Art, Killing The Inner Fascist

III. Artist raised in Russia

Recent Posts

Comments