THERE ARE PARALLELS BETWEEN THE PROTESTERS IN THESE IMAGES AND THE ROLE OF THE ARTIST, A STRUGGLE TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND TO MAKE SENSE OF THE WORLD AROUND THEM. JENS ULRICH. ULLRICH HAS BEEN COLLECTING NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS OF PROTESTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR MANY YEARS. FOR HIS WILLKOMMENDE GEMEINSCHAFT (WELCOMING COMMUNITY) 2006 PROJECT, HE HAS SELECTED IMAGES OF INDIVIDUALS HOLDING PLACARDS, WHICH HE HAS PAINSTAKINGLY ALTERED, REPLACING THEIR SLOGANS WITH ORNATE GRAPHIC SYMBOLS. THE DOCTORED PHOTOGRAPHS ARE INSTALLED ON PEACE BANNERS ORIGINALLY MADE BY THE ARTIST’S PARENTS AND USED BY THEM IN DEMONSTRATIONS SINCE THE 1980S. ULLRICH BECAME INVOLVED IN POLITICAL PROTEST THROUGH HIS PARENTS, WHO CONTINUE TO BE POLITICALLY ACTIVE. WILLKOMMENDE GEMEINSCHAFT EXPLORES AND QUESTIONS THE NATURE AND USEFULNESS OF SUCH DIRECT ACTION. THERE IS A SENSE OF FUTILITY IN THE BEARING OF PLACARDS EMBLAZONED WITH MEANINGLESS SIGNS. HOWEVER, SOME FUNDAMENTAL MESSAGE SURVIVES, CONVEYED IN THE PROTESTORS’ FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. FOR ULLRICH, THERE ARE PARALLELS BETWEEN THE PROTESTERS IN THESE IMAGES AND THE ROLE OF THE ARTIST, A STRUGGLE TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND TO MAKE SENSE OF THE WORLD AROUND THEM. I AM AN ARTIST WHO IN SOME WAY BUILDS UPON THE THINGS 00:19 THAT HIS FAMILY HAS LEFT HIM. FAMILY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME. 00:24 MY MOTHER BROUGHT POLITICS INTO THE FAMILY. 00:27 THE BANNERS THAT SHE PAINTED WERE DONE WITH EXTREME ACCURACY. 00:33 MY SISTER AND I TRIED TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND PAINTED OUR OWN BILLS. 00:38 WE RE-ESTABLISHED DADA IN THEM EVEN THOUGH WE WEREN'T FAMILIAR WITH IT. 00:44 WE FOUND THEIR DADA-LIKE QUALITY EXTREMELY LIBERATING FOR US. 00:49 HOW IS YOUR WORK STRUCTURED? 00:52 A SINGLE PICTURE WOULDN'T HAVE THE SAME IMPACT. 00:56 THE IMPACT IS CREATED BY THE NUMBER OF PICTURES. 00:59 THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THEM. 01:04 IN THE EXHIBITION, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S AN OLD MAN. 01:09 IT'S A SITUATION IN THE US WITH AMERICAN PEOPLE, 01:13 A BLACK AMERICAN MAN AND A BLACK AMERICAN WOMAN. 01:18 YOU ALSO SEE 01:21 A WHITE WOMAN WHO IS ALONE IN A PICTURE. 01:24 THAT'S SORT OF REPRESENTATIVE. 01:27 THE PICTURE WITHIN THE PICTURE, THE BANNER HELD BY A PERSON, 01:31 WHO IS THEN PHOTOGRAPHED. 01:33 THAT'S OF COURSE THE OBVIOUS THING TO CHANGE. 01:36 I'VE DONE THAT IN OTHER SERIES AS WELL. 01:39 WHAT ROLE DO THE BANNERS PLAY? 01:42 I DID THEM FOR THE RESPECTIVE PERSONS. I TRIED TO FIND OUT 01:46 WHAT MIGHT SUIT THE SITUATION AS WELL AS THE PERSON IN THE PICTURE. 01:51 IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU CAN'T DECIPHER IT, THAT IT DOESN'T CALL ATTENTION TO A SITUATION 01:57 OR A POLITICAL DEFICIENCY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. 02:01 INSTEAD IT IS ESSENTIALLY A CLICHÉ FOR ART. 02:06 WHAT CAN VISITORS EXPECT? 02:09 ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, I DECIDED 02:13 TO STOP SELLING MY ART, 02:15 NOT TO FEED IT INTO THE ART MARKET ANY LONGER, MEANING THE COMMERCIAL ART MARKET. 02:22 INSTEAD I JUST PUT MY WORK UP. 02:25 IS YOUR ART POLITICAL? 02:28 ALL ART IS POLITICAL BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS A DESIGN FOR LIFE 02:32 WHETHER THE ARTIST WANTS IT OR NOT 02:35 AS IT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT HOW OTHER PEOPLE LIVE.
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