PROTEST – An Exhibition of Protest from our troubled times

October 24, 2016

The Great Britain flag is symbolic of a nation, a culture and representation of being united as one.

At the Victoria Miro gallery, the Protest exhibition is currently running until 5 November, the flag is dissimilar to its usual identity. It is instead modified as a form of rebellion and can be seen flying from the building. Continuing the theme of protest, the exhibition also explores the idea of power structures and how equality can really be achieved in our postmodern society. Recent campaigns such as Black Lives Matter and the migrant crises have inspired debate and through the portrayal and media engagement of these and other societal issues, has helped shape this exhibition further.

The 17 artists work included are different, yet all serve the purpose of protest. They range from sculptures, to broken walls the break up pre conceived ideas about the world and yourself. Doug Aitken’s sculptural text work of the word FREE, is lined with shattered mirror. It uses a single word and the light and reflectivity turns a simple read into something more eye catching and thought provoking,

Another work and a real stand out piece for us was Elmgreen & Dragset’s ‘Prison Breaking/Powerless Structures’s. It embodies a true to life model of a prison cell that has been split apart in two. There are toilets turned on their head, litter scattered on the floor and you can see it really does have anger, written all over it, symbolically of course. Of course, art is based on interpretation but it could be epitomizing the increasing prison sentence or even perhaps the feeling of being trapped inside a prison where you reside.

The exhibition is all about the extent to which others suffering is visible to others and how it is reflected, and keeping their stories alive. Alongside this, the idea of self reflection cannot be denied when looking at the exhibition and the freedom we posses, in being in a democratic society, order to, defend and celebrate the freedom we hold as a form of protest.