TIME TO ACT
The mobilisation has begun: as Arturo Zampaglione observes in the opening piece of this section, Europe’s artistic and intellectual diaspora was, at f irst, decidedly sluggish in its respond to the rising conf luence of forces that threatens to strip away the freedoms that membership of the Union represent. Now, however, there is a growing resistance and determination to rally against these forces. Overleaf we report on the coalescence of the United Artists for Europe initiative, an ideological alliance of creative minds that will culminate in a high-profile auction of original pieces in support of pro-European causes. Then we sit in as BernardHenri Lévy and Roberto Saviano discuss the challenges facing European unity. Even though the clock has struck “five minutes to midnight”, as Lévy says, there is still time to siez e the initiative and influence our destin y. As a coda to that, Francesco Vezzoli presents a new ar twork that encapsulates our troub led present.
The European art world seemed absent in the face of the new spectre of nationalism and the “leprosy” of populism.The silence was disturbing, almost deafening. It was as if the community of painters, sculptors, designers and other creative people – who for centuries had forged the continent’s identity – were abdicating their responsibilities at such a critical time for Europe, for its unity and abo ve all for its v alues.
But the artists have since mobilised, albeit at the eleventh hour. And the credit goes to the “three musketeers of culture”, who called them to arms with an unusual manifesto and a spectacular initiative called United Artists for Europe.
“The European identity we all share, from Dublin to Budapest, is also an artistic identity,” wrote French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, 70, Swiss auctioneer Simon de Pury, 68, and Austrian gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac, 59, announcing a major public exhibition and auction to be held in London on the eve of the European Parliament elections. Many famous names immediately responded to the call by donating their work, including Francesco Clemente, Marina Abramovic, Daniel Buren, Giuseppe Penone, Grayson Perry, Jan Fabre, Francesco Vezzoli, Adel Abdessemed, Douglas Gordon, Sylvie Fleury, Bernar Venet, Elmgreen & Dragset, Marc Quinn, Julio Le Parc, Juergen Teller and Pascale-Marthine Tayou. Just a few of their contributions are featured in the images on these pages.
The list also surprisingly features non-European artists. How can this be explained? “The values of Europe transcend the continent’s geographical borders,” replies BHL. The author and activist has had his nose to the grindstone all winter, first with the circulation of the letter signed by 30 European writers and intellectuals against populism, and then with his touring performance titled Looking for Europe, which he has taken to dozens of theatres on both sides of the Atlantic.
According to BHL, in terms of awakening consciousness, this mobilisation of the art world will have a similar impact to the Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme in Paris in 1938.
Simon de Pury – who will conduct the auction in person, offering a display of his incisive and playful style that earned him his nickname “the Mick Jagger of art auctions” – prefers to measure the success of the initiative by other criteria. “It will lead to a greater awareness of the art world,” he explains, “generating a media buzz while raising funds for important causes.” In fact, the proceeds of the sale organised in collaboration with the Hexagon Society think tank at Ely House – the home of Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in London’s Mayfair district – will go to the French artistic association Artagon and the NGO Europa Nostra.
Of course, some might accuse the three creators of adopting an overly elitist approach in the midst of the populist offensive. BHL, however, promptly rejects this criticism and labels it as fascist in itself. “Long live the elites when they identify with art and literature,” declares the French philosopher. Meanwhile, Ropac reminds us that art has never been, and can never be, a fundamentally popular phenomenon.