Tor Seidel: Riposte

Tor Siedel explores how ‘vandalism’ by environmental activists in triptychs that consider whether these attacks can also be considered performative acts of art. He focuses on the protagonists’ actionism, the shock or entertainment value for visitors, and the professional dissemination of videos of the attack groups on the internet; says the gallery, “this leads him to conclude that these are not only ambivalent forms of protest, but also independent artistic acts. With paint bombs and soup, the actors succeed in transforming significant works of art in unexpected ways and creating new experiences within the museum environment”.

In short, actionism challenges the common perception that classical art and museum spaces are sacrosanct and expands the concept of art – it takes art as action out of the predictable white cube and into the spontaneous spaces of society, transforming the museum into a stage for activist performances.

Seidel reconstructs some of these attacks in three phases: a reenactment of the scene following the attack, collecting statements from those involved, and transforming the defacement into a new piece. The change, whether lasting a few days or months during a complex or straightforward restoration, means that the work has been forever altered by the presence of the videos filmed during the attack – “its transformation implies a new context of meaning that cannot be obscured”.

To 11 December.