"Feels like we are in the hands of a minority in power that has lost its sanity".
A V&A Peaceful Art Action: Exclusive Interview with the Artist
At the end of last month, two intricately hand painted portraits of Julian and Stella Assange were placed stealthily in Room 90A—a gallery dedicated to historic portraiture in the Victoria and Albert Musuem in London.
We were anonymously sent photos and video of this unique peaceful protest.
Watch the video of the action here:
Read the exclusive interview with the artist below:
First of all, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. We were given this video and photos of this incredible art anonymously, and it immediately struck as such a unique and innovative form of peaceful protest. Can you speak about the origins of the idea and why now?
May 20 was a critical date. Another step in the process of whether Julian Assange will be extradited to the US and face a 175 years in maximum security prison for exposing US war crimes. It is painful to think what he has been put through for so long: more than 13 years captive in one form or another, battling various legal cases in Britain, persecution by the CIA and a corrupt political system... In a world where the US has parasitical military ubiquity, Assange´s work was a threat to the warmongering regular practices of its elites. Feels like we are in the hands of a minority in power that has lost its sanity. These thoughts push me to imagine ways of altering the cogs of a system that feels upside down in so many aspects.
In this creative process the academic propaganda methods of the past have been inspirational and a good tool so as to draw attention to fights of Julian and Stella Assange. Instead of portraying monarchs, aristocrats or individuals with inherited wealth or titles, of whom the history of art is flooded, I chose to portray, replicating the same aesthetic and technical parameters, two essential figures of our time. Press freedom and public access to truthful information needs to be protected more than ever and Julian and Stella Assange represent this.
The V&A museum must also be an intentional aspect of the action. Why choose this location and what does it represent to you?
In the 90A gallery of the V&A there are some significant examples of portraits of Elizabeth I that were painted at the time so as to show support and loyalty to the monarch. "Miniatures were particularly useful to the monarchy. They were small enough to be given personally, sometimes in a public ceremony, as a sign of the monarch´s favour. (...) Elizabeth´s wealthier subjects started to wear her image as a sign of loyalty in the 1580s, when Protestant England was threatened by Catholic Spain." Nowadays propaganda methods are much more sophisticated, persuasive and technological, and most powerful propaganda strategies require large economic investment so as to have significant impact. Nothing to do with the little portable miniatures... The miniature portrait gallery, the intimacy of the room, and the propagandist nature of the watercolors at the time was an inspiring frame for decoding and reframing our present.
In the art world, like in most aspects of our society, there's a tension between patronship (coorporate sponsorship, exhibition spaces) and freedom of expression. A recent example is Ai Wei Wei's exhibit being pulled in London a few months ago because of his outspoken views on Palestine. How do you navigate this as an artist and still stay true to your artistic intention?
It is a very good point you are making. It is very hard to navigate the art world when an artist has a clear critical stance against the hegemonic system /Status Quo. Nevertheless, challenging the established structures is so fulfilling and appealing now that it is so necessary. Contemporary Art, very broadly speaking, is conditioned by the rules of capitalism, so to still participate in the art ecosystem playing the game differently is rewarding in many ways. The obstacles make you stronger and more confident. Sorry for not being able to share much more. For my work I follow my instincts and this is probably why It feels like I am living several lives in just one. Also, I don´t aspire to own things, in reality all I want is to need the least things, and to get rid of my artworks.
What do you hope to achieve with this art installation? And what would you like the wider public to know about Julian's case?
On one hand, I made this site-specific piece so as to render visibility to the impunity with which many governments can operate, and the horrific and incomprehensible treatment an award-wining investigative journalist like Julian Assange has received. On the other hand, in this quest, I was interested in opening a stealthy dialogue with the museum and the public using a more unusual communication strategy. Museums are extremely political bodies and they can develop and evolve into more elastic structures, beyond hierarchical cogs, marketing strategies and imposing architecture.
There are many ways of protesting in art. In my case I depart from history and then reformulate it so as to work on pressing worries. This requires to be constantly observing and learning. I enjoyed painting the miniature portraits also because I had never painted one before. Even though I used the smallest scale possible for a protest piece, it was important to have it land in a museum of the size of the V&A. I think that the text of the label contextualising the artworks summarised some of the key elements that I would like the wider public to know about Julian´s case.
The title was: Victims of US lawfare and corruption on focus: Julian Assange.
After which you could read:
Julian Assange is an award-winning Australian editor, publisher and journalist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. He gained international attention in 2010 after publishing a series of leaks from US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning that revealed that the US military commited war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On May 23, 2019, the U.S. government charged him with violating the Espionage Act of 1917 (an outdated Act that infringes freedom of speech and that was designed to stifle any criticism of the government or the involvement in World War I). Since April 2019, Assange has been held without charge in HM Prison Belmarsh in London, as he fights for his right to appeal in the British courts. May 20 2024 could be his last chance to stop his extradition to the US.
The artist gave this interview anonymously via email.
The V&A museum did not report this action to the press.
However, two media outlets reported on it, the Spanish outlet, El Espanol and The Art Newspaper.
Read the El Espanol, El Cultural article, “An anonymous artist sneaks a work for Julian Assange's freedom into the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.”
Read the Art Newspaper article, ”Julian Assange miniature goes on show (unofficially) at the V&A”.
Breathtaking genius! The V&A should consider itself honoured to be the custodians of such a unique work of art and audacity!
The genius of the artist leaves me breathless. I am sure the V&A are well aware of the historical worth of these miniatures. The public should not be barred access to it now. PLEASE PUT IT BACK WHERE YOU FOUND IT!