You Are All Individuals!
You Are All Individuals!
An exhibition curated by Nina Folkersma.
7 May – 12 June 2011
Herengracht 401
1017 BP Amsterdam
Participating artists: Yael Bartana (Israel, 1970) Daya Cahen (The Netherlands, 1969) Köken Ergun (Turkey, 1976) Enrique Marty (Spain, 1969) Daniel Svarre (Denmark, 1976) .
There is a famous scene in the film Life of Brian (1979) by Monty Python in which Brian, who is born on the same night as Jesus Christ and by a quirk of fate is seen as the Messiah, is trying to get rid of his disciples. Looking over the crowd of followers from his window, he shouts: ‘You don’t need to follow me. You don’t need to follow anybody. You’ve got to think for yourselves. You are all individuals’. Whereupon the crowd replies: ‘Yes, we are all individuals!’ – except for one individual who discreetly raises his arm and says: ‘I’m not’.
We know the dangers of a mass that blindly follows its leader. We are aware that groups are closed, repressing and potentially violent. We are also aware that groups have the tendency to be hostile to outsiders, or even more so, to deliberately create an external enemy so as to guarantee the unity and stability of its own group. On the other hand, how susceptible are we to the appeal of the mass. Becoming part of a group means safety, a shared identity and solidarity. In these fearful uncertain times, that is a reassuring thought. Society is on the verge of falling apart because of the continuous pressure on the individual and its responsibilities. We are in need of common ideals. Together we are stronger. Aren’t we?
The exhibition You Are All Individuals! brings together existing and new works of five contemporary artists who look into the relationship between the individual and the crowd. Why are some people more vulnerable to group formation than others? When does group behaviour turn into fanaticism? At what point do we speak of a dangerous and threatening mass and when of a revolutionary collective movement? Working in different media – photography, sculpture, painting, video and sound work – the five participating artists share a fascination for national ceremonies, patriotic acts and other rituals that are intended to reaffirm the collective identity of crowds or countries. They examine the complexities of indoctrination, faith and conviction and hope to inspire their viewers to reflect upon the power of the crowd and the individual.
You Are All Individuals! is part of the cultural manifestation We are all fanatics! in Amsterdam, and is curated by Nina Folkersma, independent curator and art critic from Amsterdam.
For the cultural manifestation see Castrum Peregrini.
