Creative Rebellion
The Problem
Politics now is not about honor or humanity.
They don’t think about culture. If they do, they think about how to use culture to get money.
Such was the response when Monocle interviewed a Kurd artist for their story on the Iraqi Kurdistan region of Sulaymaniyah. That, unfortunately, is the state of politics and culture in Iraq.
It’s not quite the same as what I’m experiencing in Singapore, or what the people of China are facing – but in some ways we’re all seeing creative rebellion as a way to react to ugly politics.
Sulaymaniyah in Kurdistan is a city of artists, poets, playwrights, journalists and designers. In many ways, it’s a holdout. It’s fucking amazing that a place like that exists, because it gives you hope.
Now, this city is leading change in the region around Iraq in a huge way, and that’s inspiring.
It’s inspiring because it echoes the idea that art can change the world.
The Idea
It’s the same idea Ai Weiwei believed in when he voiced out against the Chinese government. It’s inspiring. It’s the hope of change that makes me believe in Ai’s potency to change China. Art has always been clear about its purpose, and that its purpose is always to say something, without any ulterior motive. And that’s why it’s powerful. It may not be immediate, but I believe the change for China will happen in our lifetime.
And in some way, I hope Singapore has our own Sulaymaniyah, or our own Ai Weiwei – art that empowers, not just as critique or ironic embellishment. We’re getting there, but until we stop confusing design for art, or kitsch for art, it won’t happen.
I believe art literacy is what will empower otherwise non-artists to understand art and welcome it into their lives. It will help us all be conscious about what art is, and how we can process it, and how it can be allowed to impact our lives if we let it.
