UNCLE are honoured to join distinguished artists such as Ai Weiwei, kennardphillipps, M.I.A, Banksy, Cornelia Parker and other cultural luminaries such as John Pilger, Arundhati Roy, Alice Walker, Brian Eno and Tariq Ali supporting the forthcoming exhibition States of Violence.
Radical knowledge and arts organisation a/political have embarked on an unprecedented collaboration with WikiLeaks – the multinational media and library resource who specialise in the publication and analysis of censored materials involving war, spying and corruption – to train an urgent, uncompromising spotlight on global power structures and government oppression.
States of Violence will also disseminate top secret documents courtesy of the Institute for Dissent & Datalove drawn from the original WikiLeaks 2010 publication of U.S. diplomatic cables. This means that visitors to the exhibition are – be it actively or passively – committing the same crime for which Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is currently facing a threat of deportation plus 175 years in prison under the American Espionage Act of 1917.
The exhibition poster features participating artist Cassils’ time lapse performance still from a work titled ‘Inextinguishable Fire’. Cassils’ art “contemplates the history(s) of LGBTQI+ violence, representation, struggle and survival. They see performance as a form of social sculpture: drawing on the idea that bodies are formed in relation to forces of power and social expectations.” Displayed U.K. wide, the artist’s shocking and mesmerising image of self-immolation simultaneously conjures danger, empathy for those experiencing violence, and a reminder of the privilege of being removed from such circumstances.
In connection with States of Violence there’s a public program being held at a/political, hosted by hip-hop artist and activist Lowkey. There’s also a closing event of live music presented in a collaboration between WikiLeaks, Wau Holland Foundation, a/political and the team behind Shangri-La Glastonbury to take place 08.03.23 at EartH, Hackney N16 8BH.
We’ll leave an ambassador for WikiLeaks to have the final word: “Humans can be held by walls. Armed guards can watch their every move. Governments can do their utmost to stop their voices reaching the outside world. But ideas cannot be caged. States of Violence brings this truth to life and demonstrates through art and culture that imprisoning Assange won’t stop what’s been set in motion, the truth cannot be untold. Hasta la Victoria Siempre!”
“There is no fight more important than the fight for our freedom of speech. Culture is the last free space in which these secrets can be exposed.” a/political spokesperson
24.03.03 – 08.04.23 The Bacon Factory, 6 Stannary St., Kennington, London SE11 4AA
