New Unions, Installation


2018

New Unions is an artistic and political campaign that departs from the current political, economic, humanitarian, and environmental crisis of Europe with the aim of assembling representatives of transdemocratic movements and organizations to propose scenarios for new future unions. 

New Unions considers the crisis of Europe simultaneously as a crisis of the imagination, and as such rejects both ultranationalist parties that demand separation from the European Union and seek to return to a mythical notion of the nation-state, as well as the political-economical functionary elite that has used the EU for its austerity politics. Instead, New Unions argues for the need for third, fourth, fifth options in the form of alternative scenarios for transnational unionization.

New Unions, Installation consists of a large carpet-floormap, that traces the enormous diversity of emancipatory political organizations across the European continent, challenging viewers to imagine new possible alliances that could compose the foundation for transnational unionization. Surrounding the map are a set of stars that represent the EU’s moment of crises and transformation, sinking into or emerging from the floor, previously used in various New Unions campaign events. Projected on the wall are contributors to New Unions assemblies, consisting of Yanis Varoufakis (DiEM25), Seher Aydar (Rødt / Solidarity with Kurdistan, Norway), Lorenzo Marsili (European Alternatives) and Mireia Vehí (Popular Unity Candidacy, Catalunya).

  • PROJECT BY:

    Jonas Staal


  • PROJECT TEAM:

    Jonas Staal (artist), Remco van Bladel (graphic designer), Renée In der Maur (researcher), Younes Bouadi and Evelien Scheltinga (production and coordination Studio Jonas Staal)


  • COMMISSIONED BY:

    Tallinn Art Hall (EE), curated by Katerina Gregos


  • SUPPORTED BY:

    Amsterdam Foundation for the Arts, Amsterdam (NL)


New Unions, Installation


2018



New Unions is an artistic and political campaign that departs from the current political, economic, humanitarian, and environmental crisis of Europe with the aim of assembling representatives of transdemocratic movements and organizations to propose scenarios for new future unions. 

New Unions considers the crisis of Europe simultaneously as a crisis of the imagination, and as such rejects both ultranationalist parties that demand separation from the European Union and seek to return to a mythical notion of the nation-state, as well as the political-economical functionary elite that has used the EU for its austerity politics. Instead, New Unions argues for the need for third, fourth, fifth options in the form of alternative scenarios for transnational unionization.

New Unions, Installation consists of a large carpet-floormap, that traces the enormous diversity of emancipatory political organizations across the European continent, challenging viewers to imagine new possible alliances that could compose the foundation for transnational unionization. Surrounding the map are a set of stars that represent the EU’s moment of crises and transformation, sinking into or emerging from the floor, previously used in various New Unions campaign events. Projected on the wall are contributors to New Unions assemblies, consisting of Yanis Varoufakis (DiEM25), Seher Aydar (Rødt / Solidarity with Kurdistan, Norway), Lorenzo Marsili (European Alternatives) and Mireia Vehí (Popular Unity Candidacy, Catalunya).

Museum as Parliament Unionizing the Polish Flag