Art & Design

3 Questions to Hans Ulrich Obrist

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Through the history of mankind, courageous artists were at the forefront of paradigm shifts and disruptive upheaval. Being the artistic seismographs of unprecedented societal upbeat and fundamental change, it is essential for DLD to learn and listen open minded to the artist of our time. Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of the Serpentine Galleries, kindly answered us three leitmotif-questions about „Reconquer“ in advance:

Reconquer - what does it mean to art?

Rather than conquest, and its implication of division and conflict, in terms of art I would side with Etel Adnan's statement that “the world needs togetherness, not separation. Love, not suspicion. A common future, not isolation.” These words describe a vision of progress based on shared knowledge and collective action.

What do you personally want to reconquer?

I would suggest that we look forward. We must seek out new and common ground, seek out new ways of being together in the world predicated on the exchange of skills and experiences across cultures and generations.

What is the role of artists in society today?

One of the great gifts of artists is their ability to imagine the world as radically different from how it is now. Art resists the idea that things must be as they are, and that kind of radical thought stimulates change. That is extremely important today.