Diversity United
by Walter Smerling
Diversity United provides a snapshot of the artistic face of Europe.
The works of the assembled artists intervene in the social construction of the image or, to put it in more human terms, the face of Europe. They claim the mission and the ability to participate in this construction, to reflect on it critically and to take it further.
The team of curators asked: How do you view the current situation with its topics of democracy, freedom, tolerance, xenophobia, and respect for others?
The responses are startling — 3 examples:
- The rower of Ilya & Emilia Kabakov, for instance, who, though sinking, is nonetheless presented as an unyielding saviour figure and who reminds us of the misery of refugees in the Mediterranean.
- or Petrit Halilaj’s oversized, ash-covered pendant in the form of a butterfly, representing the only heirloom of his family that the latter was able to save from the destructive rage of the Balkan War,
- or Katharina Sieverding’s blurry self-portrait, which shows her face encircled by knives — her personal way of confronting the racist attacks in Rostock.
These highly personal allusions to historical or current events and crises in the European world encourage viewers to have a close look and to take a position themselves on Europe and its supposed identity. The exhibition does not only contribute to the internal self-assurance of Europe, but also to how it appears externally. For beyond their personal experiences and thoughts on Europe’s problems, the artists also present the most highly varied European cultural landscapes.
It becomes clear that without these individual interventions of the artists “from below”, the face of Europe remains vague — an impotent wish of the dominant institutions and organisations. “Diversity United” makes Europe’s face appear more genuine, and thus more varied, human and dynamic.
Walter Smerling *1958. Studied Business Administration and Art History. Practical training in Television Broadcasting at SWF. Author, director and moderator of television films, with a focus on cultural reportage and artist portraits. As exhibition organizer and curator, responsible for numerous art and culture projects. Chairman of the Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur e.V. (Foundation for Art and Culture) in Bonn, Director of the MKM Küppersmühle Museum of Modern Art in Duisburg, and Artistic Director of the Salzburg Foundation. Since 2010, Honorary Professor for Culture and Economy at the University of Witten/Herdecke. Official Advisor of the National Museum of China, Beijing. Since 2017, member of the curatorial committee of the German Friends of Yad Vashem. Awarded the Order of Merit of the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2020.
