Year 2015 Medium Bronze Created 2015 | Type sculpture Artist Davide Dormino | |
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Anything to say a monument to courage berlin alexanderplatz may 1st 2015
Anything to Say? is a bronze sculpture and art installation by Italian Davide Dormino which was placed in Berlin's Alexanderplatz on May Day 2015. It features the whistleblowers Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and Chelsea Manning standing on three chairs; the entire installation (which includes a fourth, empty chair meant as a platform for public speaking) is to go on a global tour. The installation was unveiled by "ANYTHINGTOSAY," a private art project. In 2016 Davide Dormino has been awarded Prix Étique 2016 by Anticor for Anything to Say?
Contents
- Anything to say a monument to courage berlin alexanderplatz may 1st 2015
- Clip 2 anything to say a monument to courage davide dormino s sculpture
- Message
- Berlin Alexanderplatz
- Dresden
- Geneva Place des Nations
- Paris Georges Pompidou Centre
- Strasbourg Place Klber
- Tours
- Perugia Piazza IV Novembre
- Belgrade
- Ptuj Mestni trg Square
- Rome Ple Aldo Moro
- References
Clip 2 anything to say a monument to courage davide dormino s sculpture
Message
"A lot of people say they are traitors, but I want to celebrate these living heroes," Davide Dormino says. "My work is a monument to the future." Davide Dormino’s sculpture, Anything to say?", symbolizes the courage of whistleblowers and all those who fight to defend freedom of expression and information throughout the world. It travels from city to city to remind the public about the massive invasions of privacy, the information control and the disinformation to which they are subjected by governments and corporations, and about their democratic and legitimate right to know. Julian Assange, Bradley "Chelsea" Manning and Edward Snowden were chosen as examples of contemporary heroes who have put themselves in danger in order to reveal information and shed light on events that were hidden or misrepresented. Like them, countless citizens all over the world put their freedom, courage and integrity in the service of truth. The sculpture is supported and sponsored by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an NGO that defends media freedom.
Berlin - Alexanderplatz
On 1 May 2015 on the historical Alexanderplatz, in Berlin, the sculpture was unveiled with artist Davide Dormino, the speakers, the journalists and those who joined the event. Many people surrounded the sculpture, in turn stepping up on the chair to speak, or just to show their support. The speakers at the event who stood up on the chair armed with megaphones were: Davide Dormino, sculptor, Michel Rediske for Reporters without Frontiers, Hans Christian Strobele from the German Green Party, Sarah Harrison for Wikileaks-Courage Foundation, Annie Machon, ex former MI5 intelligence officer, Ulrich Schreiber, director of Berlin International Literature Festival, Anjhula Mya Singh Bais actress and human rights activist. The sculpture does not indorse any specific political ideals or religious beliefs, neither does it belongs to any specific country. Courage is for all. The project was born from the enthusiasm of a group of ordinary people who believe that courage is contagious.
Dresden
The sculpture has been exhibited in Dresden on Jun the 1th in Theaterplatz for the International week to support Whistleblowing celebrated all over the world from June the 1th to June the 7th 2015.
After Dresden, the sculpture has been exhibited to Ostrale 015, till September 2015. Ostrale 2015 is a famous art event whose aim is stimulating the dialogue among several artistic disciplines and different artistic fields for those artists who are interested in networking and connecting with people who not necessarily belong to the art system.
Geneva – Place des Nations
The sculpture stopped in Geneva during the 30th session of the Human Rights Council, on the place des Nations from 14 to 18 September, just in front of the United Nations building. The support Committee for the event in Geneva is composed of the NGO Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), of the International Centre for Peace and Human Rights (CIPADH), of Blaise Lempen, Pilar Ackermann, Fabio Lo Verso, Charly Pache and of the representative of a group of citizens that contributed to the realisation of the project, Marco Benagli.
Paris – Georges Pompidou Centre
The Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris displayed the sculpture from 23 to 29 September in the square in front of the centre, where the display was inaugurated on 23 September in the presence of Dormino, Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire, UBS whistleblower Stéphanie Gibaud, Luc Hermann, an investigative journalist who is one of the directors of the Premières Lignes production company, and Marco Benagli, representing a civil society group that helped fund the project.
The French actress Catherine Deneuve also attended as the inauguration’s sponsor. She sat in the sculpture’s empty chair and read an address written for the occasion by Irène Frachon, the French specialist who exposed the dangers of the antidiabetic drug Mediator.
Strasbourg - Place Kléber
The sculpture was displayed in Strasbourg’s Place Kléber from 16 to 21 November as part of the annual Strasbourg World Forum for Democracy. The display was inaugurated on 17 November in the presence of Dormino, Deloire and Luxleaks whistleblower Antoine Deltour.
Tours
The sculpture has been installed in front of the Gare de Tours during the 9th edition of the Assises du Journalisme, from March 9 to March 11, 2016.
Perugia - Piazza IV Novembre
The sculpture Anything to Say? has been exhibited for the first time in Italy, in the historical square Piazza IV Novembre in Perugia, during the 10th International Journalism Festival (6–10 April 2016).
An associated panel discussion entitled From WikiLeaks to Snowden: protecting high-value sources in the age of mass surveillance on Friday 8 April with speakers Sarah Harrison, Davide Dormino, John Goetz and Stefania Maurizi.
On April 6 during the 7th anniversary of the earthquake in L'Aquila,
Vincenzo Vittorini, the spokesman of a delegation struggling for truth and justice for the earthquake 309 victimes, stood up one the sculpture's empty chair to make a speech about the responsibility of the Italian Government in L'Aquila tragic events.
Belgrade
Promoted and supported by The Italian Institute of Culture in Serbia, with the collaboration of G12@HUB and the Radisson Artist Residency Program, Anything to say? has been exhibited at the contemporary art Dev9t Festival, from June 8 to June 10, 2016.
Ptuj- Mestni trg Square
The sculpture has been exhibited in the Slovenian city during the 14 th edition of the Art Stays Festival-politic(s) from July 8 until July 16.
Rome - P.le Aldo Moro.
Promoted by MLAC- Museo Laboratorio di Arte Contemporanea and supported by La Sapienza University of Rome. The Sculpture has been exhibited in front of the entrance of the University from december 9th until december 13th 2016. At the opening there was hundred citizen and representatives of non-governmental organisations, universities, and students. Such people will include Gianni Rufini, Director of Amnesty International; Irene Caratelli, Director of the Department of International Relations and Global Politics at the American University of Rome, Professor Claudio Zambianchi, Director of MLAC.