Olafur Elliason work at Venice Biennale
In contrast to Hirst’s overarching subject, Icelandic artist Olafur Elliason does confront a major theme such as the refugee crisis and displaced peoples. He is so devoted to the cause that he has brought refugees from various countries with him to the Biennale. The photo above shows two boys creating green lanterns that decorate this pavilion. The lanterns sell for two hundred and fifty euros and the proceeds go to a charity that helps refugees find homes and get acclimated to western culture.
Elliason champions the idea that art can bring people together and close boundaries, even boundaries that seem impossible to transgress. Elliason’s creations are not only beautiful, decorative and illuminating (literally and figuratively), they are inspiring. I even begged my mother to buy one but she refused as they would be impossible to “lug around” Venice for the remainder of our day touring different pavilions, not to mention, “how would we go about packing them.” So, although I am not a proud owner of a green lantern created by a Syrian refugee sitting on the bench pictured above, I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibition.
Boys at Olafur Elliason Pavilion, Working on Green Lanterns By: Alexandra Zirinis
Maybe because art interests me when there is a significant, important, and controversial story or theme behind it which I found genuinely lacking in Hirst’s exhibition. There has been a large debate over whether or not artists should even be political and maybe they should just stick to creating “pretty things,” but I think now more than ever artists have to speak up. What makes artists like Elliason or photographer Wolfgang Tillmans (known for his controversial political prints) less credible than any other person who decides they have the right to discuss major global issues.
Is this simply because they are artists?
Well then that is flawed. Art should, and has the responsibility to, raise difficult questions and stimulate conversations that can be hard to have. If art is just there to look pretty but not mean anything, then what’s the point?
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