The setting for the New World Summit in Berlin’s Sophiensaele. The flags are all of organizations on the ‘designated terrorist lists’. Showing one of them might be a crime, but as a whole they qualify as an artwork. All photos courtesy of Jonas Staal and his team
I chaired a summit and helped curate a project designed by the Dutch artist Jonas Staal in Berlin on 4 and 5 May, as part of the Berlin Biennial. Continue reading
This unfinished building overlooking the US Embassy compound was probably used by the Taliban in the current attack.
In 2009, while visiting Kabul, I was astonished by the fortifications that had arisen around a large swathe of land comprising the US Embassy, NATO headquarters, the Presidential Palace, key ministries and other embassies. Given the hilly topography and urban layout of Kabul, this cordoning off of a large chunk of the centre caused considerable traffic and access problems for ordinary Kabulis. Continue reading
Why the art sector cannot justify its continued existence
The idea that societies could be reformed (modernized) through general access to culture, also high culture, was part of the modernist project for Western societies. These ideals were stated most forcefully in the 1920s and 30s by the avant-garde. They became mainstream in the post-war era, when the leaders of the Western world were looking for social-political models that could prevent the recurrence of the devastating world wars while avoiding a communist insurrection of the masses. Continue reading
Wilders, the radical anti-Muslim nationalist and populist leader of the Dutch “Freedom Party” has manoeuvred very smartly. He has promised to support the coming right wing Dutch government on the condition that his political programme be followed by it; but he will not become part of that government. Continue reading
The fear of Big Brother is justified as long as political power sits on top of us and has the means to lock us into a subordinate relationship of control. In the 1920s and 30s we saw how dictatorial regimes came into power in democracies through elections, so the sole fact that a political system is democratic is not sufficient to guarantee that civil liberties will be protected. In theory the Netherlands or any other democratic country could become a dictatorship after the next elections (and step out of the European Union and other binding international agreements if necessary). Continue reading
Ik ben tot de laatste ronde gekomen in de sollicitatieprocedure voor de functie van Directeur van De Balie. Jammer dat ik het niet geworden ben, want dit was ik van plan: Continue reading
Wat mij betreft is het werkelijke drama van integratie van ‘allochtonen’ dat ze zo’n bleek beeld weerkaatsen van de Nederlandse cultuur. We zouden hen het hoogwaardigste van onze Nederlandse cultuur (humanisme, literatuur, intellectuele vrijheid) kunnen meegeven in plaats van de laagste gemene deler, zoals dat met de inburgering geschiedt. Bewaarden ze tot ze dat niveau bereikten maar meer van hun cultuur van oorsprong! Want zelfs de populaire, dorpse cultuur waaruit het meerendeel van hen afstamt (gekenmerkd door bijv gastvrijheid, eergevoel, onderlinge solidariteit) is een stuk beter dan het krasse materialisme en egoïsme van de Febo cultuur waarin ze belanden, door ons overtuigd dat dit het ware Nederland is!