Gegen den Strich

Since Modern Art, deliberate transgression of conventions or norms have been a crucial element of artistic practice. More recently, however, provocative artworks have increasingly led to controversy among the broader public. Michael Diers examines this phenomenon in ten case studies—including works by Christoph Büchel, Sam Durant, David Hammons, Thomas Hirschhorn, Mark Wallinger or the Center for Political Beauty—from the years 2001 to 2022. On the basis of these highly debated works, which address social issues such as colonialism, Islamophobia or refugee policy, Diers poses the question of the connection between art and politics anew: only as "Political Art"—he argues—can it serve as a means of socio-critical analysis and aesthetic exploration of world events.

MICHAEL DIERS (*1950, Werl) is one of the most distinguished German art historians and university professors. As an editor and author, he has published extensively on the subject of image theory. He is co-editor of the Collected Writings and Letters of Aby Warburg.