The origins of art lie in the human endeavor to explore unknown or not yet understood realms of perception and sensation, and as such, creative works inherently resist post facto categorization and institutionalization as “fine art.” This resistance mirrors opposition to the practice, prevalent from the advent of modernism until the present day, of annexing uncharted lands and expanding national territory and capital through institutions. Recognizing, and exploring the potential of, art’s inherent nature as a form of resistance to or avoidance of institutionalization and control, i.e. anarchism, may also be a means of breaking through the rigidity that paralyzes society.
In recent years there has been a surge in collective action against discrimination based on race, place of origin, gender and other factors, both in art and through art. While these actions represent a sincere form of resistance, they also run the risk of overshadowing smaller variations among individuals. In this light, it is crucial to explore how our diverse personal expressions and day-to-day behaviors can coexist without being subsumed into a monolithic narrative. Such explorations can be viewed as examples of anarchism in practice.
This exhibition begins with the works of Neo-Impressionist painters who were deeply involved in anarchism, which was in the ascendant as a political and social force in the late 19th century. It goes on to showcase artists from the post-World War II period to the present who have continued to create while engaging with, or intentionally distancing themselves from, art and society, and at times paradoxically leverage institutions to their own advantage.
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Image credits: Potential not to be and not to do Anarchism as alternative art and other ways of life, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, 2024-25, installation view. Photo: ToLoLo studio.