Do You Hear the People Sing?

Patriotism, Propaganda, and Revolution in the Art of Europe and the Americas
Public Event

“All art is propaganda,” Diego Rivera famously pronounced. In this presentation we will look at how art has been used to inspire people in bringing about social change and upending oppressive power structures. Conversely, we will also explore how kitsch has been used to advance autocratic ends. Our investigation will span from the call for liberté, égalité, et fraternité in the French Revolution with artists such as David, Gros, and Delacroix; to the antiwar and antiauthoritarian messages of Goya, Picasso, and Kollwitz; to the socialist aspirations of the Mexican painters Rivera, Kahlo, Orozco, and Sequeiros; and finally to some recent artists, such as Barbara Kruger, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Kehinde Wiley, and Ai Weiwei, who have addressed contemporary concerns. Can aggression be channeled constructively through art? By the end of the evening, maybe we will all be inspired to make a better world.

Speaker: Mark Buenzle

Admission: Free

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