In war, art is not a luxury

Abstract

Indeed, in most parts of Europe we are not. But many people across the world are. Countless artists live and work in war zones or violent, post-conflict surroundings. More often than not the art world does not know much about them. Ask Jonathan Watkins who curated the Iraq Pavilion at the 2013 Biennale in Venice. He has visited Iraq three times “seeking out artists isolated from the burgeoning international calendar of biennials and art fairs. Travelling in a bulletproof car surrounded by soldiers was a constant reminder of the instability that underlies daily life (…) we went to the Fine Arts Association in Basra,” he recalls. “They say things which are heart-breaking – for instance, ‘You’re the first foreign curator who has come to see us.’”

Jeanette Winterson, “In a war, art is not a luxury – In a world that makes no sense, artists, writers and actors have a right to speak out against war”, published in The Guardian, World News, October 16^th 2001”