Hate Speech. Aggression and Intimacy

About

In the light of current political and medial developments the Künstlerhaus will address the freedom of speech, its use and misuse, in the frame of an extensive topical exhibition. “Hate Speech. Aggression and Intimacy” will display international positions of contemporary art, which deal with new forms of communication and representation on social media and its medial varieties. Questions surrounding freedom of speech, art and press accompany the examination.
With regard to the framing and publishing of our thoughts, the Internet has caused lasting changes, which enable a less screened and more intense participation of the individual in public debates. The astoundingly excessive use of aggression, fake news and the intended instrumentalization of power to influence public opinion making in this context is a central component of the current media discourse. In the face of an alleviated combination to a potential mixing of personal and public space, the questioning of the subjective attitude up to the new connotation of each individual’s intimacy comes to the fore. The central aspect in the artistic examination of “Hate Speech” is the sensibility of the individual, who, in partly aggressive attempts for visibility and representation, is looking for the positioning of the self and often gets caught in contradiction.
“Hate Speech. Aggression and Intimacy” considers itself a contribution to collective discussion and pursues the goal to heighten the sensibility and the awareness for the virtual, public and private space to support the value of a democratic formation of opinion within an open civil society.