More power
30 March–17 August 2014
Museum de Fundatie, Zwolle
Blijmarkt 20
8011 NE
Zwolle
The Netherlands
T +31 (0) 572 388188
info [at] museumdefundatie.nl
Yael Bartana, Joseph Beuys, Constant, Hans van Houwelingen, Asger Jorn, Anselm Kiefer, Gert Jan Kocken, Renzo Martens, Steve McQueen, Deimantas Narkevicius, Anri Sala, Andres Serrano, Alec Soth, Roy Villevoye, Ai Weiwei and Raphaël Zarka
Joseph Beuys often made the attempt to gain political power. The German artist and shaman was an enthusiastic preacher of the revolution and was involved in the foundation of at least three political parties during his career. As an artist this brought him a certain amount of fame, but outside the art world Beuys never managed to gain any real influence.
The exhibition titled More power is about this—still topical—quandary: to what extent can art play a role in society? Over the past few years we have witnessed an increasing number of artists wishing to exert their influence. They want to display their idealism, to improve the world. But they also realize that art is currently facing a dilemma. On the one hand, the art world is a kind of nature reserve within society, where great liberty abounds; artists are allowed more leeway than people in the ‘real’ world. But they have to pay a price for this: The world only tolerates their freedom because it is not necessary to attach practical consequences to artistic ideas. Artists primarily have the power to display new, stimulating, attractive images—but the actual achievement of change appears to be a bridge too far. However, artists do not readily accept this situation.
More power is principally concerned with the dilemma of present-day artists who wish to play a greater role in the modern world. How can you ensure that society notices your ideas? How can you, as an artist, make your work so forceful, so tempting, that the world cannot ignore it? Almost every artist in the More power exhibition, whether it be Steve McQueen, Ai Weiwei, Constant, Anselm Kiefer or Yael Bartana, is seeking a new attitude to the world, and sometimes even a new role for art in society. But they always do that, first and foremost, on the basis of their greatest strength: making artworks that you cannot disregard. Although they may doubt the necessity of power, they still believe in the power of art.
More power presents work by Yael Bartana, Joseph Beuys, Constant, Hans van Houwelingen, Asger Jorn, Anselm Kiefer, Gert Jan Kocken, Renzo Martens, Steve McQueen, Deimantas Narkevicius, Anri Sala, Andres Serrano, Alec Soth, Roy Villevoye, Ai Weiwei and Raphaël Zarka. The exhibition has been compiled by author and art critic Hans den Hartog Jager, who previously organized the More light exhibition in Museum de Fundatie.
The Museum de Fundatie administers an extensive collection of visual art, which has its origins in the collection of the former director of the Museum Boijmans in Rotterdam, Dirk Hannema. Over the years this collection has been increased by various important acquisitions, such as the art collection of the Province of Overijssel. The Museum de Fundatie has two magnificent locations: ‘Kasteel het Nijenhuis’ near Heino and ‘Paleis a/d Blijmarkt’ in Zwolle.
