In 1937 the German government, then run by the Nazis, put on an exhibition called the ‘Degenerate Art Show’, depicting the ‘disgusting’ modern art that represented–in Nazi eyes–all that was wrong with Germany’s democratic period between 1919 and Hitler’s coming to power in 1933. The exhibition was pure propaganda, meant to show the public what the Nazis had saved the country from.
So what made this art ‘degenerate’? Grade 10 students investigated this question and presented–each student examined one artist or piece of artwork and explained to the class how this art challenged the rigid conformity and politics of leading Germans of the time.
Today we looked at a few examples of art from Ai Weiwei, the famed, persecuted Chinese artist who, in the tradition of those Weimar artists, pushes the boundaries with exceptional commentary on culture and politics. It’s one of the most important aspects of a free society.