Art and Revolution
During last nights’ Coffee and Conversation, Charmaine Warren explained that Nora wanted her to talk not about Nora the artist, but about Zimbabwe - its past, its current situation - and about the role of Art and Revolution. The well-mixed group of dance presenters, students of dance, and those new to dance dove in. It soon became clear that we were unsure of the relationship.
Can art feed revolution? Can revolution art energize those viewing it to take action? If so what action did Nora want us to take? Questions flowed more freely than answers, but as I watched the group discuss propaganda and its function, I wished more people could have been there. It is an important conversation to have; it is a timely conversation, and so I bring it here to our blog in the hope that the conversation will continue.
BBC News Country Profile: Zimbabwe
The New York Times - Zimbabwe News
jacqui (May 1st, 2008 at 9:01 pm)
Sounds like it was interesting, maybe next time you can add a transcript or video of the event
Richert Schnorr (May 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 am)
Arg I wish I’d been there! It’s an incredibly potent topic, especially right now with Zimbabwe. I saw Nora’s piece last night, and it’s so fascinating to watch the work, which addresses her experience of the politics and passions that eventually lead to Mugabe’s rise to power, and to contextualize them with the current situation.
This morning, Zimbabwe released the ‘results’ of the most recent election which took place over a month ago. The findings indicate that the opposition gained a larger percentage of the vote, but the constitution requires a run off election with a margin this close. So Robert Mugabe continues to cling to power as he has for over 30 years.
This same man was instrumental in the Second Chimurenga (1966-1979) that Nora’s piece centers on; leading the Zimbabwe African Nation Union after the assignation of Herbert Chitepo in 1975. He came to power as Prime Minister in 1980 after the British government had lost its hold on the country, and changed the constitution to make himself President in 1987. Since then, the country has spiraled into hyperinflation and faces immense food/energy shortages along with a massive HIV epidemic.
Nora’s work speaks to this history. It speaks to revolutions, violence, and hope from the past, present and future. I feel lucky to have seen the work at this particular moment, and to have been reminded of a country whose politics I once followed closely. I lived in South Africa, Zimbabwe’s southern neighbor in 2004 and 2005. Many young Zimbabweans attend the University of Cape Town, where I studied, and I became familiar and impassioned by the political/economic situation there. Now, as Zimbabwe teeters on the edge of what could later be seen as a fourth Chimurenga, this incredible artist reminds us of where the country has been and questions where it is going.
As I said, I feel lucky to have experienced this piece at this particular time and to have the opportunity to write something on its relevance. But (and this gets a bit off topic) how did no critic in New York see fit to write this piece? A 10 minute blog post is a poor substitute for a well researched and considered examination the issues in Zimbabwe and the issues presented on stage at DTW this weekend. Nora’s work is culturally relevant and historically vital. What a missed opportunity to really dive into the relationship of art and revolution and to illuminate the CONTINUED RELEVANCE (see previous post on this blog) of dance in our increasingly borderless world. Thanks to Charmaine Warren and Nora for the Coffee and Conversation that I so stupidly missed, and to anybody else who feels compelled to chime in. There is much to be said.
Amina (May 7th, 2008 at 12:20 am)
I was not at this performance, but I have a strong opinion about arts and activism. I express my views in my blog at http://internationalafricans.bravehost.com/thedrumcall.htm click the side bar “What’s She Bloggin’ About” to access blog. I am pretty much discussing how with the unrest that the Sean Bell tragedy has put the country in, what can artists do and should they do anything in order to express feelings on this, a plan to take our next steps, and to inspire motivation against injustoces of all kinds? I feel that artists are censorless and should be a reflection of society - past and/ or present. If you do not inspire you are not an artist to me and I mean not just an ejoyable performer but a moving performer. Move people to become active, it is the way of the artists - it always has been for centuries and now we are afraid because they try to condemn us for our words - oh they did back in the days too and still the artists continued on and lead most of the greatest changes in the world through passion and love.
Sarah (May 7th, 2008 at 2:48 pm)
Revolution and Art…
Art was an important protest tool during the 1960’s; it gave voice to the people through creative expression, it fostered discussion and action, it drew thicker lines between the suits in Office and the people down here on planet Earth.
There is something about today’s revolution or political art that isn’t quite the same however. In a society that is bombarded with images, noise, calls to action, requests for money, requests for help, bad news after bad news, etc. it’s difficult to lend your ear to yet another cause, even when it is in the context of art.
I’m not bashing it however. I myself am working on a strongly political piece and I put myself to task almost daily, finding answers to some hard questions surrounding politics in art.
I haven’t seen this work, but I’ve seen other politically charged works and the ones I’ve seen have made me cringe. They were highly dramatic, highly charged, highly angry (highly bad) and I couldn’t help but feel like the artist wanted us all to do something, but the question is what and if we do this something, will it matter?
We are all fed with up one injustice or another and I feel as an artist, it is my duty to respond to these injustices, but is that going to inform an audience? Are they going to rush out and donate money to charity or join the Peace Corps? Is the injustice going to stop?
I don’t know.
I’d like to believe that art has the potential to change the world, but I think the world has to first take notice of the art.
R.E. (May 8th, 2008 at 8:03 am)
Sarah’s post brings up the question for me - what
“action” does any particular political art call for? Donations to charity or joining the Peace Corps are not the only ways to engage in action, and in fact both of those particular actions can be problematic. Taking to the streets in protest also happens so cynically and in a premeditated, made-for-TV way, that it’s questionable how effective that action can be. So what is anyone asking for? What is political action in the US?
Ann Lewis (May 14th, 2008 at 10:24 am)
I wonder if the artists’ goals are simply to open our eyes to the issues that effect more than half the globes population. Most Americans live in a gloriously blinded narrow corridor pursuing their version of the American Dream pausing only to watch the news and read the paper so that they can have a “well informed” opinion at networking events. What if artists are purely asking us to actually be well informed?