2386
by DaveA
Not having an active Twitter or Instagram account, or whathaveyou, I haven't followed all of the hullabaloo surrounding Wim Wenders's statement at this year's Berlinale, that artists "have to stay out of politics."
Feels like a lot of contention could have been avoided if he'd simply said, "Artists have the right to stay out of politics." In other words, not all art needs to be overtly or even subtly "political." That would be harder to argue against for people that aren't within spitting distance of being psychotic and terminally online.
It's been my belief for 25+ years. Seems reasonable.
And it's worth noting that, whatever you might think of his more recent output, or his filmography as a whole, pound for pound Wenders has made better films than most directors working today, including, it's worth noting, several of those who've signed that statement against him. To be honest, a lot of active artists would be better off attaching themselves less to whatever hot button issues or theories or moral quandaries or contentious divides are at play today. If nothing else, it would date their work less.
No one wants to be outmoded or seen as a bootlicker for the corrupt ruling elite; few people who are heavily invested in the social world want to be seen as standing on the sidelines while the world falls apart, especially when people are dying. But too many people of various disciplines feel the need to take a stand on all sorts of things, as if the success or failure of a given effort hinges upon their specific input. This isn't completely outside the bounds of art making, in some cases, but often enough it is. And not everyone is able to do this without being awkward in their quest for relevance, their desire to be on top of things, to be a bad ass. In other words, "political art" suits some creators, but not others. Both should be allowed to exist. I would hate to live in a world in which the things people make are either always "political," as if by decree, or never "political," for fear of ruffling feathers and confronting hard truths.
[/rant]
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