TEXT Miguel E. Keerveld, Curator-in-Residence for the project ALAKONDRE: A Space in Time in collaboration with Readytex Art Gallery (RAG).
Achille Mbembe (2017) identifies four characteristics of our time. These are: a geographical and cultural uprooting; the redefinition of human; computer-based devices that have become widespread in all aspects of social life and the power of capital with the ability to consciously manipulate the human species. In this context, I am examining the manifestation MAN STEN in which “different nuances and interpretations of the concept of masculinity are discussed” (RAG, 2022).
The question
How does MAN STENrelate to our time? While asking myself the question, I am looking at the work of local master Sirano Zalman, who is mostly known for his male nudes. This pushes me to consider the nakedness of contemporary politics; a sector that is mainly dominated by men. According to Sigmund Freud (quoted in Gay, 2006), there are men who are revered by their contemporaries, while their greatness is fueled by traits and achievements that are out of line with the ideals and goals of the masses. In essence, this is exactly what politics is. As Beeckman & Wissenburg (2022) put it politics is conflict. According to Freud (quoted in Mbembe, 2017) the masses “are moved precisely by excessive stimuli” and the one who acts on the masses does not need to develop logical arguments. He must operate from powerful imaginations, exaggerate, and repeat the same thing over and over. But in this ‘politics of enmity’ the cracks are already visible.
In dialogue with UMA STEN, I am convinced that our zeitgeist is also experiencing new inspiration. This is how male dominance disappears by itself. Would those black-gray photos by Sirano Zalman convey something similar? MAN STEN also shows work by Kenneth Flijders, Miguel Keerveld, Dhiradj Ramsamoedj and Kurt Nahar. In addition to these artists from the collection of Readytex Art Gallery (RAG), works by guest artists Fabian de Randamie, Shawn Stolting and Hariandi Todirijo are also included. As its curator, Kurt Nahar invites the audience to question the masculine masquerade of our time in its many forms. Harry Brod (1995) also does this and asks what it means to see masculinity as a masquerade. He states that gender is biological, and gender is social. In this view there is sufficient space to establish that gender, like ethnicity, is a matter of performance: assigning oneself a role to subsequently fill it in the political game (Brod, 1995). A similar game of time makes me think of its gender as not constant.
Gloom
MAN STEN exudes gloom. In addition to black shades, the colors blue and red are striking. Kurt consciously chooses the work of Shawn Stolting and combines it with his own work. I see that the work of Sirano Zalman, just like that of Stolting and Kurt, shows stillness and dramatic associations. A sense of oppression overwhelms me because this exhibition takes us back in time … Into history. To a time like Nazi Germany, and at the same time in the here and now. It is no coincidence that Kurt uses Vladimir Putin and the phallus (depicted in a standing coffin) in relation to Stolting’s artwork depicting the Eiffel Tower. These works stare at each visitor and demonstrate a merciless re-manifestation of masculinity in our politics. I hope these are the last throes of this stage in our history.
With this manifestation, Kurt Nahar sharpens the loneliness or despair of men in today’s world. In addition, MAN STEN is also an attempt to showcase the feminine in the masculine and the childlike innocence (RAG, 2022). For example, Mbembe (2017) sees the masculinity of our politics as a fusion of capitalism and animism. According to the website Historiek, animism – which was seen as a primitive faith at the end of the 19th century – is “a collective name for a large number of religions and faiths”. Specifically, animism is seen as a philosophical-religious system of thought based on the idea that souls or spirits can also be found in objects other than humans and animals (Mbembe, 2017). When I look closely at how Kurt fulfills his role as curator, it shows me the possibility of such an approach to politics, because with MAN STEN he seems to create such a system of thought. Fortunately, I also see hope on the horizon in relation to UMA STEN.
Apotheosis
Kurt first stepped back. In UMA STEN he showcased the apotheosis. Had he captured an invisible but fundamental force for our zeitgeist in this? To me, UMA STEN appeared as “magical power of expectation” as Rutger Bregman (2019) puts it. “Input influences process and determines output”, which is why Kurt thought it is important to first imagine an alternative. With UMA STEN he showed what Mbembe (2017) calls ‘planetary’ humanity: a flexibility that decenters masculine power to slowly but surely continue as a feminine force. Fortunately, Kurt also gave this positive side of politics some attention. Possibly a beneficial effect could result from this, in the hope that people can behave differently. A sort of placebo effect, as it were, but beyond the individual.
Expectations are powerful weapons. Also, in politics. For example, the current political landscape acts as an inverse placebo effect. Like a big nocebo effect. Bregman(2019) believes that we are taking more distance from each other with this; enabling racism, sexism, and nationalism, among others, to do their dirty work. The founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud (cited in Bregman, 2019), states: “We are descended from generations of murderers, whose love of murder was in their blood.” But it’s our job to make the best of it. In my opinion, UMA STEN draws attention to exactly this. However, we must have the courage to take a closer look at MAN STEN, which took place at Readytex Art Gallery (RAG) from June 11 to July 2, 2022.
Niccolò Machiavelli, the founder of political science, states: “People in general may be said to be ungrateful, capricious and hypocritical”. The fact is that our politics and culture harbor quite a few mSilasculine and destructive tendencies (Freud quoted in Gay, 2006). That such thinkers are seen as realistic is quite something. Above all, let us place those hopeful ‘fictions’ as Kurt Nahar subtly presented them to us under the heading of ‘realistic’ and really take them in.
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Sources:
- T. Beeckman & M. Wissenburg, (1 november 2022). Macht, moed en Machiavelli [Video File]. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TgOPH6JLEU
- R. Bregman, De meeste mensen deugen, 2019
- H. Brod, The Masculine Masquerade, 1995
- P. Gay, Het onderbewuste: De draagbare Freud. Een keuze uit zijn werk, 2006
- A. Mbembe, Een politiek van vijandschap, 2017
- A. Mbembe, Kritiek van de zwarte rede, 2015
- Readytex Art Gallery, Press Release MAN STEN, 2022
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Look at the Sranan Art Xposed photo album of the UMA STEN exhibition on Flickr here.
Look at the Sranan Art Xposed photo album of the MAN STEN exhibition on Flickr here.
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This publication was made possible in part by a grant from the Dr. Silvia W. de Groot Fund.
Read more about the Dr. Silvia W. de Groot Fund here (only in Dutch).
Read more about Dr. Silvia W. de Groot here (only in Dutch).
TEXT & TRANSLATION Miguel E. Keerveld
Miguel E. Keerveld (Suriname, 1982) works in conjunction with the brand EdKe and the performance persona tumpi flow. Educated in civil technical engineering, ‘he’ operates with focus on visual language and creative writing. As a hybrid-intuitive concept, ‘she’ performs political interventions related to social practice. As researcher ‘it’ is focused on activating performative politics and manifesting rituals, both related to creative counseling and civic engineering of a cyborg feminist project.
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PHOTOS Courtesy Readytex Art Gallery (RAG)
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