State of the ART(ist) in 2024 demonstrates how art can flourish under extreme conditions and reflect social issues.
When bombs fall, the ground for renewal becomes scarce. When negative stereotypes shape social consciousness, freedom of expression is in danger. When containers are used to block protest movements, the dream of freedom and justice is shattered. When our world is plagued by crises and conflicts, humanity is more important than ever. Freedom of art and freedom of expression are components of our pluralistic society – and it is precisely these that State of the ART(ist), a project by Ars Electronica and the Austrian Foreign Ministry, aims to strengthen and make creative voices heard that are suppressed in their home regions.
Introduced as a reaction to the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the project sheds light on the connection between the restriction of artistic creation and social oppression. However, State of the ART(ist) also focuses on the incredible resilience of artists who continue to raise their creative voices and create inspiring works despite the most adverse circumstances and suppressed freedom of expression. The project thus shows that art – of all kinds – can flourish even in difficult times and be a transformative force in society.
In response to new threats to freedom of expression, the Digital Deal Award was also presented for the first time in 2024. Repressive regimes are increasingly using technology to subtly influence politics and society. The award recognizes works that expose or subvert the undemocratic use of technology to protect freedom of expression. The award is supported by the European Digital Deal, a three-year study co-funded by Creative Europe on the impact of new technologies on democratic processes.
„Art, its protagonists and institutions can actively help to counteract forces that are unequal, anti-democratic and destructive to the environment. Art can stand for resistance and change.“
Christl Baur, Head of Ars Electronica Festival
There are no restrictions in terms of art form at “State of the ART(ist)”. And even if extreme political and social situations form the backdrop for the exhibited works, they were selected solely on the basis of their artistic quality. During the Ars Electronica Festival, the winning projects of the awards and other Honorary Mentions can be viewed in a separate area on the second floor of POSTCITY.
Of course, “Haawriya حاورية) حاوية+ حرية)”, which was awarded the main prize, is part of the exhibition. Here, artist Said Ahmed Mohamed Alhassan addresses cultural resistance in Sudan, symbolized by a painted freight container with hidden loudspeakers. This container, which was used during the 2019 revolution both to store corpses after the brutal sit-in massacre and to block protests, becomes a symbol against the restriction of freedom of movement and expression through Alhassan’s art.
“The Queer Muslim Project (TQMP)” receives the Digital Deal Award 2024 for its outstanding work in the LGBTQIA+ community in Asia. Digital and cultural platforms are used to combat harmful stereotypes and give queer storytellers a voice. The award recognizes TQMP’s innovative use of digital media and its programs such as “Language is a Queer Thing” and the “QueerFrames Screenwriting Lab” to promote social change and defend human rights.
Also on display will be “Heating Season” by Vasya Dmytryk, where a “tracegraph” of moving magnets is used to create mechanical and human traces to explore the relationship between industrial systems and the natural environment. In “Immersive Sky Experience”, Paribartana Mohanty uses machine learning to artistically depict climate change in the coastal region of Odisha and to illustrate the threat of environmental disasters. “Nanna Lagna” by Indu Antony consists of a seven-metre-long skirt that is “interwoven” with the stories of women from a recreational center in Bengaluru, India. Whereas “Swimming Lesson”, a mockumantary by Vardit Goldner, addresses the lack of swimming pools for Bedouins in the Negev region of Israel and the resulting dangers of water scarcity and climate change.
Nanna Langa, Indu Antony (IN), Photo: Philippe Kalia
Immersive Sky Experience, Paribartana Mohanty (IN), Credit: BMEIA
Heating Season, Vasya Dmytryk (UA), Photo: Ivan Strahov
The projects and performances will be complemented by a panel discussion on Thursday at 1 p.m. on the Lecture Stage, providing a deeper exploration of the works on display. The keynote ‘The Artists at Risk (AR) and Ecologists at Risk (ER) programs and the new emergencies’ by Marita Muukkonen addresses the increasing power of autocratic leaders worldwide, which is weakening human rights, and asks how artists and art institutions can actively oppose and resist these anti-democratic, authoritarian and ecologically destructive forces. Other speakers on the panel include Rafiul Alom Rahman, Nina Bulgakova and Kamya Ramachandran, who will discuss how artists can continue to express themselves despite and because of circumstances that threaten their very existence.
Selected projects from State of the ART(ist) will be on display at POSTCITY as part of the Ars Electronica Festival 2024. Tickets are available here. All award-winning projects will also be presented as of now in a virtual art gallery.