The surprising combination of bright colours, in your face text and thumping beats has been characteristic for Tony Cokes’ unique and striking video essays for decades. Cokes’ art challenges its audience to re-evaluate the political role of art and media. What does it mean to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020: is it empathy or complicity? What role does pop music play in the War on Terror? From 22 December until 8 January, Cokes’ video works will take over de entire building of De Balie.

In his work, Cokes shows us the ambiguity and complexity of our modern capitalist society. He intertwines themes like gentrification, pop music and racial inequality, and combines the ideas of thinkers such as Paul Gilroy, Tino Seghal and James Baldwin with music by Michael Jackson, Morissey, Krafwerk and Nancy Sinatra.

The exhibition at De Balie has been curated in close consultation with Tony Cokes. The display of Tony Cokes’ works at De Balie is a partner project of the Hartwig Art Foundation and is based on their generous loans of works by the artist.

About Tony Cokes

Tony Cokes lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island, where he serves as Professor in the Department of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. Recent solo exhibitions include MACRO Contemporary Art Museum, Rome (2021); CIRCA, London (2021); Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona (2020); ARGOS centre for audiovisual arts, Brussels (2020); Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2020); BAK – basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht, Netherlands (2020); Luma Westbau, Zurich (2019); Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, London (2019); The Shed, New York (2019); Greene Naftali, New York (2018); Kunsthall Bergen, Bergen, Norway (2018); and REDCAT, Los Angeles (2012).

On 6 January, Tony Cokes will speak in De Balie about his work.

The surprising combination of bright colours, in your face text and thumping beats has been characteristic for Tony Cokes’ unique and striking video essays for decades. Cokes’ art challenges its audience to re-evaluate the political role of art and media. What does it mean to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020: is it empathy or complicity? What role does pop music play in the War on Terror? From 22 December until 8 January, Cokes’ video works will take over de entire building of De Balie.

In his work, Cokes shows us the ambiguity and complexity of our modern capitalist society. He intertwines themes like gentrification, pop music and racial inequality, and combines the ideas of thinkers such as Paul Gilroy, Tino Seghal and James Baldwin with music by Michael Jackson, Morissey, Krafwerk and Nancy Sinatra.

The exhibition at De Balie has been curated in close consultation with Tony Cokes. The display of Tony Cokes’ works at De Balie is a partner project of the Hartwig Art Foundation and is based on their generous loans of works by the artist.

About Tony Cokes

Tony Cokes lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island, where he serves as Professor in the Department of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. Recent solo exhibitions include MACRO Contemporary Art Museum, Rome (2021); CIRCA, London (2021); Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona (2020); ARGOS centre for audiovisual arts, Brussels (2020); Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2020); BAK – basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht, Netherlands (2020); Luma Westbau, Zurich (2019); Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, London (2019); The Shed, New York (2019); Greene Naftali, New York (2018); Kunsthall Bergen, Bergen, Norway (2018); and REDCAT, Los Angeles (2012).

On 6 January, Tony Cokes will speak in De Balie about his work.

The surprising combination of bright colours, in your face text and thumping beats has been characteristic for Tony Cokes’ unique and striking video essays for decades. Cokes’ art challenges its audience to re-evaluate the political role of art and media. What does it mean to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020: is it empathy or complicity? What role does pop music play in the War on Terror? From 22 December until 8 January, Cokes’ video works will take over de entire building of De Balie.

In his work, Cokes shows us the ambiguity and complexity of our modern capitalist society. He intertwines themes like gentrification, pop music and racial inequality, and combines the ideas of thinkers such as Paul Gilroy, Tino Seghal and James Baldwin with music by Michael Jackson, Morissey, Krafwerk and Nancy Sinatra.

The exhibition at De Balie has been curated in close consultation with Tony Cokes. The display of Tony Cokes’ works at De Balie is a partner project of the Hartwig Art Foundation and is based on their generous loans of works by the artist.

About Tony Cokes

Tony Cokes lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island, where he serves as Professor in the Department of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. Recent solo exhibitions include MACRO Contemporary Art Museum, Rome (2021); CIRCA, London (2021); Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona (2020); ARGOS centre for audiovisual arts, Brussels (2020); Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2020); BAK – basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht, Netherlands (2020); Luma Westbau, Zurich (2019); Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, London (2019); The Shed, New York (2019); Greene Naftali, New York (2018); Kunsthall Bergen, Bergen, Norway (2018); and REDCAT, Los Angeles (2012).

On 6 January, Tony Cokes will speak in De Balie about his work.

The surprising combination of bright colours, in your face text and thumping beats has been characteristic for Tony Cokes’ unique and striking video essays for decades. Cokes’ art challenges its audience to re-evaluate the political role of art and media. What does it mean to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020: is it empathy or complicity? What role does pop music play in the War on Terror? From 22 December until 8 January, Cokes’ video works will take over de entire building of De Balie.

In his work, Cokes shows us the ambiguity and complexity of our modern capitalist society. He intertwines themes like gentrification, pop music and racial inequality, and combines the ideas of thinkers such as Paul Gilroy, Tino Seghal and James Baldwin with music by Michael Jackson, Morissey, Krafwerk and Nancy Sinatra.

The exhibition at De Balie has been curated in close consultation with Tony Cokes. The display of Tony Cokes’ works at De Balie is a partner project of the Hartwig Art Foundation and is based on their generous loans of works by the artist.

About Tony Cokes

Tony Cokes lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island, where he serves as Professor in the Department of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. Recent solo exhibitions include MACRO Contemporary Art Museum, Rome (2021); CIRCA, London (2021); Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona (2020); ARGOS centre for audiovisual arts, Brussels (2020); Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2020); BAK – basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht, Netherlands (2020); Luma Westbau, Zurich (2019); Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, London (2019); The Shed, New York (2019); Greene Naftali, New York (2018); Kunsthall Bergen, Bergen, Norway (2018); and REDCAT, Los Angeles (2012).

On 6 January, Tony Cokes will speak in De Balie about his work.

The surprising combination of bright colours, in your face text and thumping beats has been characteristic for Tony Cokes’ unique and striking video essays for decades. Cokes’ art challenges its audience to re-evaluate the political role of art and media. What does it mean to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020: is it empathy or complicity? What role does pop music play in the War on Terror? From 22 December until 8 January, Cokes’ video works will take over de entire building of De Balie.

In his work, Cokes shows us the ambiguity and complexity of our modern capitalist society. He intertwines themes like gentrification, pop music and racial inequality, and combines the ideas of thinkers such as Paul Gilroy, Tino Seghal and James Baldwin with music by Michael Jackson, Morissey, Krafwerk and Nancy Sinatra.

The exhibition at De Balie has been curated in close consultation with Tony Cokes. The display of Tony Cokes’ works at De Balie is a partner project of the Hartwig Art Foundation and is based on their generous loans of works by the artist.

About Tony Cokes

Tony Cokes lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island, where he serves as Professor in the Department of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. Recent solo exhibitions include MACRO Contemporary Art Museum, Rome (2021); CIRCA, London (2021); Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona (2020); ARGOS centre for audiovisual arts, Brussels (2020); Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2020); BAK – basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht, Netherlands (2020); Luma Westbau, Zurich (2019); Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, London (2019); The Shed, New York (2019); Greene Naftali, New York (2018); Kunsthall Bergen, Bergen, Norway (2018); and REDCAT, Los Angeles (2012).

On 6 January, Tony Cokes will speak in De Balie about his work.

The surprising combination of bright colours, in your face text and thumping beats has been characteristic for Tony Cokes’ unique and striking video essays for decades. Cokes’ art challenges its audience to re-evaluate the political role of art and media. What does it mean to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020: is it empathy or complicity? What role does pop music play in the War on Terror? From 22 December until 8 January, Cokes’ video works will take over de entire building of De Balie.

In his work, Cokes shows us the ambiguity and complexity of our modern capitalist society. He intertwines themes like gentrification, pop music and racial inequality, and combines the ideas of thinkers such as Paul Gilroy, Tino Seghal and James Baldwin with music by Michael Jackson, Morissey, Krafwerk and Nancy Sinatra.

The exhibition at De Balie has been curated in close consultation with Tony Cokes. The display of Tony Cokes’ works at De Balie is a partner project of the Hartwig Art Foundation and is based on their generous loans of works by the artist.

About Tony Cokes

Tony Cokes lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island, where he serves as Professor in the Department of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. Recent solo exhibitions include MACRO Contemporary Art Museum, Rome (2021); CIRCA, London (2021); Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona (2020); ARGOS centre for audiovisual arts, Brussels (2020); Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2020); BAK – basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht, Netherlands (2020); Luma Westbau, Zurich (2019); Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, London (2019); The Shed, New York (2019); Greene Naftali, New York (2018); Kunsthall Bergen, Bergen, Norway (2018); and REDCAT, Los Angeles (2012).

On 6 January, Tony Cokes will speak in De Balie about his work.

The surprising combination of bright colours, in your face text and thumping beats has been characteristic for Tony Cokes’ unique and striking video essays for decades. Cokes’ art challenges its audience to re-evaluate the political role of art and media. What does it mean to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020: is it empathy or complicity? What role does pop music play in the War on Terror? From 22 December until 8 January, Cokes’ video works will take over de entire building of De Balie.

In his work, Cokes shows us the ambiguity and complexity of our modern capitalist society. He intertwines themes like gentrification, pop music and racial inequality, and combines the ideas of thinkers such as Paul Gilroy, Tino Seghal and James Baldwin with music by Michael Jackson, Morissey, Krafwerk and Nancy Sinatra.

The exhibition at De Balie has been curated in close consultation with Tony Cokes. The display of Tony Cokes’ works at De Balie is a partner project of the Hartwig Art Foundation and is based on their generous loans of works by the artist.

About Tony Cokes

Tony Cokes lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island, where he serves as Professor in the Department of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. Recent solo exhibitions include MACRO Contemporary Art Museum, Rome (2021); CIRCA, London (2021); Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona (2020); ARGOS centre for audiovisual arts, Brussels (2020); Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2020); BAK – basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht, Netherlands (2020); Luma Westbau, Zurich (2019); Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, London (2019); The Shed, New York (2019); Greene Naftali, New York (2018); Kunsthall Bergen, Bergen, Norway (2018); and REDCAT, Los Angeles (2012).

On 6 January, Tony Cokes will speak in De Balie about his work.

In de klassieke Griekse tragedie Koning Oedipus wordt de stad Thebe geteisterd door de pest. Volgens de ziener Tiresias is het een vloek, omdat de moordenaar van de vorige koning Laius vrijuit is gegaan. Na lang aandringen van Oedipus geeft de ziener zijn profetie toe: het was Oedipus zelf die zijn vader vermoordde (en met zijn moeder trouwde). Koning Oedipus is een verhaal met bekende hedendaagse elementen: arrogant leiderschap, het negeren van voorspellingen en een pandemie. Bijna 2500 jaar oud en toch opvallend actueel.

Tijdens dit programma lezen acteurs de tekst van Koning Oedipus voor en gaan we daarna met de zaal in gesprek over wat de tekst ons vertelt over de huidige tijd. Is de tekst van toepassing op de omgang met de Covid-19 pandemie? Of zegt de tekst ons iets over onze omgang met de klimaatcrisis?

In de klassieke Griekse tragedie Koning Oedipus wordt de stad Thebe geteisterd door de pest. Volgens de ziener Tiresias is het een vloek, omdat de moordenaar van de vorige koning Laius vrijuit is gegaan. Na lang aandringen van Oedipus geeft de ziener zijn profetie toe: het was Oedipus zelf die zijn vader vermoordde (en met zijn moeder trouwde). Koning Oedipus is een verhaal met bekende hedendaagse elementen: arrogant leiderschap, het negeren van voorspellingen en een pandemie. Bijna 2500 jaar oud en toch opvallend actueel.

Tijdens dit programma lezen acteurs de tekst van Koning Oedipus voor en gaan we daarna met de zaal in gesprek over wat het ons vertelt over de huidige tijd. Is de tekst van toepassing op de omgang met de Covid-19 pandemie? Of vertelt het ons iets over onze omgang met de huidige crises?

When George W. Bush announced the war on terror, it did not take long for Mohamedou Ould Slahi to be arrested. His alleged ties to a terrorist organization were enough reason to arrest and torture him without conviction. After this, Mohamedou was detained in Guantánamo Bay for 14 years, where he became friends with his personal guard: Steve Wood. Even though Mohamedou had reason enough to never trust an American again, and Steve was first convinced that Mohamedou was a terrorist, they started to like each other. What does it mean to be friends when the power imbalance is so absolute? When did Steve begin to believe in Mohamedou’s innocence and trust him?

For the Bush administration, the September 11 attacks launched the war on terrorism. The Guantánamo Bay penal camp was established to hold ‘extraordinarily dangerous prisoners’. Located in Cuba – legal no man’s land. The Red Cross inspected the prison in 2004 and found out that the U.S. military was torturing its prisoners. To this day, individuals are held there without conviction.

This evening, Steve and Mohamedou will talk about how world events can turn people into enemies, and how people can refuse to be defined by them.

The Freedom Lecture
Freedom is something that we in the Netherlands often take for granted. Four times a year, De Balie invites someone who knows from personal experience what it means not to be free. We want to share their stories, spread their message, and learn from their struggle. In the series, De Balie has welcomed freedom fighters like Egyptian writer and activist Nawal el Saadawi, Ugandan LGBT activist Frank Mugisha, and Hungarian journalist Veronika Munk.

The Freedom Lecture is made possible by Stichting Democratie en Media en vfonds.