Art in Defence of Humanism

 
Updated: 20-06-00

In his horne country Jens Galschiot is generally regarded as a left-wing artist. His sculptures and happenings, e.g. My Inner Beast, have predominantly been aggressed by the extrerne right-wing in Europe. But now he is facing a new situation in connection with the mounting of the Pillar of Shame in Hong Kong in support of the democracy movement and the human rights issue in China. Some declared "leftists" still view the Beijing regime as communist and left wing. So according to a banal logic, they regard the artist's overt attack of the Chinese regime as a "right wing" act.

Against the Jungle Law
However, the art of Galschiot cannot be placed within the traditional framework of right and left. It is aiming at the promotion of a humane ethics that should be shared by all civilized people. On the other hand the artist does support ideals that are traditionally ranged as left-wing. He supports the struggle for a just social distribution of the resources of the society and a social structure aiming at the care for the underprivileged. He opposes the neoliberalistic trends propagating the savage Jungle Law as the basis of our societies locally as well as globally.

A Piea for a Humane Ethics
Galschiot's artistic expression is a plea for the classic humanistic ideals of Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood.
He dedares:
"These ideals are the very source of propulsion for my artistic activities. Without the liberty to criticize, equality before the law and brotherhood to care for each other, the society will slide into a sink of corruption, abuse of power and cruel oppression of the individual."
"This is why I'm setting up the Pillar of Shame in Hong Kong, as a gift to the Chinese people. with the aim of perpetuating the remembrance of the Beijing massacre."
- so the final remark of the artist.

Breakneck Economy

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