Wolfgang Tillmans with Paul Holdengräber: Art and Political Action | 2018-09-05 | LIVE from the NYPL

492 views · Published 12 September 2018 · 1:43:54 · Indexed 23 September 2026

Channel: The New York Public Library · 2018 · Nonprofits & Activism

Watch on YouTube

"I love that art is ‘useless’ and that it has no ‘purpose’. That makes art so incredibly powerful. And so, I don’t think one should turn to artists instantly and ask, “What are they saying?” I think, really, every private person should take part in democracy, because if you don’t, others choose for you." —Wolfgang Tillmans, New York Times

In 2000, internationally renowned photographer Wolfgang Tillmans was the first non-British artist to receive the Tate's famed Turner prize in London. His works pair intimacy and playfulness with social critique, persistently questioning existing values and hierarchies. Known for his longstanding interest in the representation of truth in media and politics, Tillmans' latest work focuses on art as a platform to engage with democracy and in doing so, combat nationalism. He visits LIVE prior to the opening of a new exhibition at David Zwirner, How likely is it that only I am right in this matter?, to discuss his life, work, and creative impulses.

More from this channel