THE STATUS OF THE POLITICAL IN CONTEMPORARY ART AND CULTURE

KLARTEXT! means "straight talk" in German. The aim of the conference KLARTEXT! was to explore the current use of the category Political as applied to contemporary art and culture. The project brought together in Berlin international artists, activists, curators, workers in the cultural sector and theoreticians to discuss the relationship between art and politics, and provided a platform and context for the exchange of thoughts, strategies and approaches. KLARTEXT! was also an exhortation to the participants and the audience to engage in the discussion. Are we really dealing with the politicisation of art or is it more a matter of an aestheticisation of political themes and contents? How influential is art? What is activism today, and how does the interchange between art and activism function? Does it make any sense to use art as a means to articulate social and political concerns? What manifestations should this kind of art assume? And in what context can it be effective?