Polish Artists are braking the last taboo

Private View: Saturday 29 October 2011, 18.00 – 21.00 hours
29 October – 5 November, Mon – Wed 8.00am – 6pm, Thur – Fri 8.00 am – 6.30pm
UNIT24 Gallery
20 Great Guildford Street
London SE1 0FD
FREE

Whilst artists are considered free to express themselves here in the west, many face huge amounts of pressure for addressing matters deemed ‘offensive’, particularly when it comes to Islam. Artist Sooreh Hera in the Netherlands and artists Lee-Anne Raymond and Demetrios Vakras in Melbourne, Australia come to mind, raising serious questions about tolerance of dissent.

Clearly, criticism of religion is not racist. In fact open disagreement and the freedom to criticise tradition, culture and religion are essential for social progress. This must be a reason why Polish artists speak out during Passion for Freedom 2011 London Festival. Last year’s edition presented works of Golden Medallist at Warsaw Poster Biennale; Maja Wolna and award winning documentary ‘Little Bride’ by Leszek Dobrucki. [ Read more ]

Passion for Freedom 2011 London Festival

Passion for Freedom Group together with One Law for All presents international artists who exercise their freedom of speech and artistic expression to discuss how religious and ideological systems create totalitarian states with us until now as silent bystanders.

International artists responded through painting, drawing, sculpture, film and installation. Their works vary in approaches to the subject. What bring them together are the awareness and the courage to act. They know as Ervin Straub famously said “Mass violence evolves progressively, always with small steps like excluding people, creating offices that serve discrimination.” The artists do not become silent bystanders who think: this is a small thing; it’s not big enough to worry about it.

[ Read more ]