All In! Re-Designing Democracy (Group)
Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn
30 May - 13 October 2024
Does our democracy need an update? Have we relied too long on the fact that nothing can shake our democracy? Democracy can only exist if we are constantly working on it. In a world that changes every day, it needs to be kept fit all the time. So, it's time to strengthen our democratic muscles!
Every aspect of democracy has been designed, therefore it can be designed differently. This observation applies not only to ballots or posters. It applies above all to the system itself: Who represents the people? What role do parties play? And who is allowed to vote and have a say? Everything that constitutes democracy according to the Western model is under scrutiny. Does it actually deliver what it promises? Is “for all” really for all? And what would happen if elections were not the sole centerpiece of democracy?
EVERY ASPECT OF DEMOCRACY HAS BEEN DESIGNED, THEREFORE IT CAN BE DESIGNED DIFFERENTLY.
The exhibition All in! Re-Designing democracy is a call for active participation – both in the exhibition and in democracy itself. It is about participating in power. In fact, a more direct form of democratic co-determination is already being tested in various places. The German Bundestag, for example, has set up a Food Council, in Belgium there is a permanent citizens' parliament, and numerous cities allow their citizens to have a direct say on various issues. As part of the exhibition, the Bundeskunsthalle also had such a council: the Bundeskunsthalle's Society Forum, consisting of 35 randomly selected citizens, was convened to help democratize and open up the museum.
The exhibition also features a “gym” where we can all exercise our “democratic muscles”. Visitors can experience first-hand what it means to be empathetic, to show tenacity and to negotiate compromises. In addition, All in! Redesigning democracy sheds light on society's current push for more participation, as well as on traditional forms of democracy. How have people fought for democracy, for equal rights and freedom? In addition to art and design, evidence from political cultural history, architecture, film and photography will be on display.
Curators: Johanna Adam, Amelie Klein, Vera Sacchetti
Controversy Teeter / Totters, Asking Everyone/Listening To No One 2024
Powder coated stainless steel, black
30 x 55 x 250 cm
Edition of 3 + 2AP
When was the last time you sat on seesaw? Did you prefer being up top or down below? Do you remember the feeling of being at the mercy of someone heavier than you? Was that ok? For how long? And what was it like the other way around: Keeping a more lightweight child up in the air with your own weight? The seesaw forces us to give in and trust that, another time, someone else will give in for us.
Exercise: conceding
Invite someone to seesaw with you. Voluntarily remain in the position you’d rather not be in and sense carefully if it’s ok for you and for how long. Try to do the same the next time you have a discussion.
