BOX2024

€590

The Power Of Speech

A speech can be powerful. It can inspire and empower people. Words can invite you to be kind and generous. Things said to you, especially when you are young, shape you for life. The way of communicating with each other, telling stories and reading poetry enrich your world. But the other side of this ‘communication coin’ is unpleasant and shocking. Powerful and famous people are increasingly changing our world, they control, devide and indoctrinate and there is no escape; ‘Influencers’ degrade the veracity of information. We live in a world where words, spoken and written, are spat out over us like verbal vomit via social media like X and TikTok. Lies spoken by populist leaders break through, their words in the name of freedom stir up fear and hatred and put freedom of speech under pressure. Words matter! And saying certain things can have unforeseen consequences. The expression “Be careful what you wish for” is not for nothing a famous adage…

NAVALNY

“We must do what they fear; tell the truth, spread the truth. This is the most powerful weapon against a regime of liars, thieves and hypocrites. Everyone has this weapon. So make use of it!” -A.N.- The anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny (1976-2024) was courageous, charismatic, funny, brave and smart and Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken critic. For years he protested against corruption,  he died this year after 37 month of unjust imprisonment in Russia. He payed the ultimate price for his critical voice and his dedication to freedom of expression. His words Mattered in Life and Still Matters in Death.

2-Color silkscreen print on handmade Bhutanese paper

MEDUSA

The fascinating parallel between Medusa’s infamous gaze and the ever-evolving capabilities of artificial intelligence comes to life. The evolution of A.I. has ushered in a new era of perception, one that extends beyond human limitations. Just as Medusa’s gaze had the power to discern, change, and transform, A.I.’s insight is driven by complex algorithms and data processing that allow machines to perceive, understand, and change the world around us. A.I. claims to be far more intelligent than us, should we worry? Will it be great? Should we resist or embrace it? Will it petrify – or perhaps decapitate us? Medusa’s gaze in the digital age is compelling and overwhelming. And we have no more say in the matter…

2-Color silkscreen print on handmade cotton paper

BLACK SWAN

Ode to ballerina Michaela dePrince who passed away this year at the age of 29. She grew up in war-torn Sierra Leone. At a young age she lost both her parents and was taken into an orphanage. Due to her skin condition vitiligo, she was treated as inferior and was called the devil’s child. In the years before she was adopted by the DePrince family, she was systematically bullied and ignored. She survived by holding on to a dream to become a prima ballerina. Although she succeeded, the way she was treated marked her for the rest of her life and undoubtedly led to the death of her body. Words matter…

2-Color silkscreen, spray paint and collage on thin Japanese paper

SWIFTIE

It is Taylor Swift’s (1989) Power Era. She is the richest, most powerful and influential female artist in the world in 2024! The first ever billionaire in history whose main source of income is music. Her cultural apotheosis, the ‘Eras Tour’, has been credited with boosting local economies across the world; the impact called Swiftonomics. She has 285 million followers on instagram and with 92 billion streams on Spotify, she’s the most streamed artist of all time. Her fandom is the largest, most dedicated, and most influential fan base in the world. The marketing wiz embraced and secured the loyalty of her ‘Swifties’ by speaking directly to them online, before it was a marketing strategy. With consistent “cultural vitality” she’s shifting public opinion. When she chants, they listen…

4-color silkscreen print on Japanese Gampi paper

Ctrl-Alt-Delete

Patriarchy is regaining ground in 2024. The victory of right-wing populist leaders with their specific type of masculinity is dangerous for women. Many of them promote ‘traditional values’ and ask their ‘followers’ to attack women’s sexual and reproductive rights. Self-proclaimed misogynist influencers like Andrew Tate, with millions of followers online, spread toxic anti-feminist rhetoric among boys and young men and try to ‘Control, Alt and Delete’ women’s and gender rights, their influence is terrifying! We cannot accept a world where our grandmothers fear their granddaughters will enjoy fewer rights than they had. The shadow comes from the right, though history still speaks in our favor…

Silkscreen print on heavy Japanese Gampi paper

CALIGULA

Right-wing populism continues to conquer the world in 2024, witnessing one of the most undeniable erosions of liberal democracy since the end of the Cold War. It is like a spectacle from the Roman Empire, and the result seems to be a bloodbath; heads must roll. Their erratic behavior, theatrical displays of power, and manipulative tactics are reminiscent of Emperor Caligula and his kind. Like him, today’s populists use gestures and grand spectacle to distract citizens from the real issues at hand. Instead, in the name of freedom, they sow division, fear, and distrust. Their targets are always specific social groups: minorities and immigrants. How can we stop their inflammatory statements and their goal to eradicate dissent?

The world needs more leaders and influencers who connect and preach ‘LOVE & GRIT’, let’s join and help them; use ‘the power of speech’…

3-Color silkscreen print on handmade Bhutanese paper