March 14 2021, on the eve of the Dutch parliamentary elections, the Embassy of the North Sea/ Harpo ‘t Hart participates in the livestream event Elections are not enough!, a collaboration between Stedelijk Museum & Metropolis M.
Major social issues, such as the fight against institutional racism or the struggle for climate justice, require action and measures to be addressed within our democratic institutions. Artists organize protests, develop rights for nature, create an international court for climate crimes, and experiment with democratic models of self-government, in order to propose a world in which several worlds fit.
How does the art world view democracy? What kind of adjustments or reforms does democracy need in order to fight institutional racism and promote climate justice? And what is the role of artists in this struggle for equal rights and equal opportunities, for the possibility of a shared future?
Elections Are Not Enough! investigates diverse art practices that critically examine, complement or reinforce current forms of popular representation, based on the knowledge that artists are crucial contributors to major societal change. The artists will discuss pressing issues that are important to them, but also to anyone who wants democracy to be capable of tackling the major issues of the 21st century, anyone who wants the earth to be liveable for everyone.
With guests: Teresa Borasino, Quinsy Gario, Harpo ’t Hart, Caitlin Schaap, Jonas Staal & Simone Zeefuik.
The assembly will be convened by Joram Kraaijeveld (research editor at Metropolis M) in conversation with Domeniek Ruyters (editor-in-chief, Metropolis M) and Britte Sloothaak (curator, Stedelijk Museum).
