‘Contemporary art has, in many ways, built echo chambers. We speak in silos‘

During Forum on European Culture, the first edition of In Our Time will take place – a new series of conversations about contemporary art, in collaboration with internationally acclaimed curator Azu Nwagbogu. We spoke with Nwagbogu about the subversive potential of art.

The theme of Forum is Art Against the Tyrants. How can art challenge power?
‘The powerful thing about art is that it relentlessly seeks the truth, poses questions, and sparks imagination. These three vital aspects of art are anathema and antithetical to tyranny and tyrants. Tyrants demand unquestioning loyalty to propaganda, lies, deceit, and malevolence – the truth is always excluded. Their ideology is absolute, and everything must conform to it. Over the years, the art world has, in a sense, played a detrimental role by abstracting the truth into a commodity consumed by the wealthy and by institutions seeking relevance rather than virtue. The art world has become too closely tied to the art market, and this is a problem.’

⁠Is contemporary art equipped to stand up to (emerging) autocracies? Do you see reason for optimism or concern?
‘The first act of despots and tyrants, upon seizing power, is to silence free speech, to stifle artists and intellectuals. This is telling. When contemporary art remains unrestrained by the establishment – unfettered by museums, PR machinery, and the machinery of hype – it is at its most vital and challenging. Such art stirs something within us, awakening truths we sense but have yet to name. It offers us, as humans, a rare space to breathe together. Yet, there is a sadness: contemporary art has, in many ways, built echo chambers. We speak in silos, our voices failing to reach beyond familiar walls, unable to touch a wider audience. This is why the series of talks, In Our Time, conceived by De Balie and me, feels so urgent and necessary. I hope we can widen our circle, reaching those who see contemporary art as elitist or obscure, and invite them into the conversation.’

⁠⁠In the first edition of In Our Time, that will take place during Forum, you will be speaking with artist Tino Sehgal, known for live artworks, that leave no trace and are never repeated. Can you elaborate a bit on what makes Sehgal’s work subversive?
‘I appreciate the idea of ‘leave no trace and never repeated.’ I would go further to suggest that Sehgal’s work establishes continuity through audience participation and relational aesthetics, inviting what he calls his ‘interpreters’ into a state of ‘presentism.’ I am particularly pleased to launch this series with Sehgal, as he is an artist who does not make objects per se. As I mentioned earlier, I believe the art world would benefit from a clearer disambiguation between itself and the art market to regain its avant-garde influence.’

You are also one of the moderators of the Interview Marathon. What is your key question for the artists joining the conversation?
‘I confess, I do not yet have all my questions neatly arranged. Still, I am compelled to ask my interlocutors: How do we endure in these times – times marked by global conflict and the raw wound of ongoing genocide? What does solidarity look like at times like these? What are the new forms of alliances that we need to be thinking of since the old forms have failed us? I am also drawn to inquire: What do you believe is the role of art in our fractured society? And, perhaps most urgently – can there be redemption in art?’