Monumente sollen stehen oder nichts II

- Von Thälmann zu Bismarck 1991 — 2021

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Genau 30 Jahre nach dem ersten Teil der Reihe "Monumente Sollen Stehen Oder Nichts" - welche den Umgang der Stadt Bautzen mit Wieland Försters 'Ernst Thälmann Denkmal' künstlerisch thematisierte - wird es Zeit für eine Fortsetzung.

Im Jahr 2021 geht es um das 1904 auf dem Czorneboh errichtete - und 1950 zerstörte - Bismarck-Denkmal von Anton Schwarz.

Der Hauptausschuss des Bautzener Stadtrates hatte vor kurzem ohne Gegenstimme und mit nur zwei Enthaltungen beschlossen, dass der AfD-nahe Verein Bautzener Liedertafel das Denkmal wieder aufbauen - und der Stadt schenken darf.

'Von Thälmann zu Bismarck 1991 — 2021'. Dieser Untertitel visualisiert wie sich die Stadt Bautzen innerhalb von dreißig Jahren kulturpolitisch zurück entwickelt hat.

Exactly 30 years after the first part of the series "Monuments Should Stay Or Nothing" - which artistically addressed the city of Bautzen's handling of Wieland Förster's 'Ernst Thälmann Monument' - it is time for a sequel.

In 2021 it's about the Bismarck monument by Anton Schwarz, which was erected on the Czorneboh in 1904 - and destroyed in 1950.

The main committee of the Bautzen city council recently decided without a dissenting vote and with only two abstentions that the AfD-affiliated Bautzener Liedertafel association could rebuild the monument - and donate it to the city.

'From Thälmann to Bismarck 1991 - 2021'. This subtitle visualizes how the city of Bautzen has developed backwards in terms of cultural policy within thirty years.

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'mmmmmmmake Bismarck Čornobóhgreatagainnnnnnn'

2021/2023

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Stawnik

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Kein Bismarckdenkmal auf dem Czorneboh/Čornobóh - Online-Petition

Sehr geehrte Stadträtinnen und Stadträte der Stadt Bautzen/Budyšin, im Oktober hat der Hauptausschuss des Stadtrats der Errichtung eines Den

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'Es gibt nur einen Čornobóh (There is only one black god)'

The impressive Karl Marx Monument illustrates very well Karl Marx as a counterpart to any politically right-wing or reactionary role model. The black appearance of the monument in the photo is the analogy to the black god in autochthonous Sorbian mythology. There is only one God who can stand up against the tendency to erase Sorbian history in the original settlement area. In my opinion, the bust of Karl Marx by Lev Kerbel is the optimal representation of a black god.

Čornobóh / Schwarzer Gott / Black God

Black God series, 2021

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'And now I wanna be your God'

I took the lyrics of 'I wanna be your dog' by Iggy Pop and changed 'Dog' to 'God'.

Further I added the word 'granite' to 'sand' to complete the line to: "And Lose My Heart On The Granite Sand".

Granite is an intrusive rock - the main geologic material in Upper Lusatia and the material of the mountain Czorneboh.

Čornobóh / Schwarzer Gott / Black God

Black God series, 2021

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'Brat Moj'

Digital Collage, 2021

The former mayor of Bautzen had a realistic sculpture (by artist Sandro Porcu) - depicting himself as alcoholic in its office. The narcissistic sculpture was featured in an interview with him at the daily newspaper. I took the image and added the lyrics of 'Brat Moj' by slovenian band Laibach.

Translation:

My Brother My brother Do you feel the courage That's been awakened by the dawn In the fight for the beauty of the world? My brother Let's be strong like toilers Let's light a bonfire in all people! My brother We are the forgers of faith in the resurrection We are the wild laughter of life! There's a hunger in us that invigorates And that doesn't torment the hungry My brother Open your eyes Travel with us To the new light!

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'Verrat - Betrayal'

In 2021 the populist and social democratic mayor of Bautzen at the time voted in favor of the request of an association close to the AFD to rebuild the Bismarck monument on the Czorneboh and to give it to the city of Bautzen as a poisoned gift.

The Czorneboh mountain in the Upper Lusatian mountains is part of the original settlement area of the autochthonous Sorbian minority.

Bismarck, as Germany's first Chancellor, banned the Social Democratic Party and introduced anti-minority laws.

Against this historical background, it seems more than questionable that a social democratic mayor would side with the reactionary applicants. In this case, the popular saying 'Who betrayed us - Social Democrats' is more than accurate.

Additional information about the proverb:

„Wer hat uns verraten – Sozialdemokraten“ – woher kommt der Ruf?

„Ein Geschrei geht durch das Land: Wer hat uns verraten? Die Sozialdemokraten“. So beginnt der „Vorwärts“-Redakteur Eugen Prager 1932 eine B

Čornobóh / Schwarzer Gott / Black God

Black God series, 2021

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Alfons Bauer sagt: "Bismarck war kein Eisbrecher"

The Social Democratic mayor of Bautzen said in a right-wing daily newspaper: "Bismarck was not a criminal (Verbrecher)." I modified this sentence with a play on words (Verbrecher/Eisbrecher) and put it into the mouth of the character Alfons Bauer from the novel "The Wendish Voyage" by Kito Lorenc. In the novel, the positive-tragic hero Alfons Bauer dreams of connecting Upper Lusatia to the sea using canals. The 'Bismarck' was the largest and most powerful German battleship in the Second World War (and not an icebreaker). The ship sank three days after beginning her first mission during a naval battle in the North Atlantic.

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'Nazis raus - Das entvolkte Cunewalde'

Čornobóh / Schwarzer Gott / Black God

Black God series, 2021

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'Hysterie'

The former mayor of Bautzen (in 2021) and member of the social democratic party described the protests against the Bismarck monument as 'Hysteric'.

Note: Bismarck in his role of first Chancellor banned the social democratic party in the late 19th century - the so called 'Sozialistengesetz' - and installed oppressions against the Slavic minority the Sorbs.

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'Ceci n'est pas un chancelier du Reich.'

The sorbian giant Sprejnik. Sprejnik isn‘t chancellor of the Deutsches Reich and its germans - but he is The Creator of the sorbian settlement Budyšin and the sources of the river Spree in the Lusatian Mountains.

I took the famous illustration of Sprejnik by sorbian artist Mercin Nowak Njechornski and added a variation of René Magrittes legendary sentence "Ceci n’est pas une pipe" from his work 'The Treachery of Images'.

The following legend has been preserved in the Upper Lusatian treasure trove of legends about the origins of the three sources of the Spree: The giant Sprejnik, who in ancient times ruled the land between Bautzen and the Upper Lusatian mountains, once carved a large and strong arch so that he could better protect his empire and its inhabitants. To test how far his arrows flew, he shot some to the southeast. When his subjects searched for them, they found the arrows far up in the mountains in a valley. They couldn't be pulled out of the ground with your hands, but had to be dug out. Fresh water began to flow from the holes. The three sources of the Spree were born.

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'Oh Czorneboh, du schwarzer Gott'

This is a mass demonstration/worship paying servile obeisance to the Black God.

Čornobóh / Schwarzer Gott / Black God

Black God series, 2021

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'Mit dem schwarzen Block zum schwarzen Gott'

Čornobóh / Schwarzer Gott / Black God

Black God series, 2021

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'Achtung'

Digital Collage, 2021

Meine erste bildliche Äußerung zu den Plänen das Bismarck-Denkmal auf dem Czorneboh wieder zu errichten. Mit einer eindeutigen Handlungempfehlung falls es zum Wiederaufbau kommen würde.

Vorgeschichte:

Als sich das Sorbische Institut in Bautzen in die öffentliche Debatte mit einbrachte begann ich tiefer in das Thema einzusteigen und stellte fest dass noch niemand eine Interpräsenz für das Thema bzw. das geplante Denkmal registriert hatte. Umgehend reservierte ich, am Nachmittag des 16. Oktober 2021, die Domain 'bismarck-czorneboh.de' um damit den Initatoren zuvor zu kommen. Da ich so schnell keine dazugehörige Webseite erstellen konnte bzw. wollte leitete ich kurzerhand auf die Internet des Sorbischen Institutes weiter. Nach wenigen Stunden - noch am selben Abend wurde ich von Sorbischen Institut gebeten die Weiterleitung aufzuheben. Das war der Startschuss selbst aktiv zu werden und kreierte innerhalb kürzester Zeit die oben stehende Grafik. Davon ausgehend schuf ich weitere Collagen die ich im Abstand von wenigen Tagen veröffentlichte um mich künstlerisch in der Debatte zu positionieren.

My first visual statement about the plans to rebuild the Bismarck monument on the Czorneboh. With a clear recommendation for action if reconstruction were to occur.

Record:

When the Sorbian Institute in Bautzen became involved in the public debate, I began to delve deeper into the topic and discovered that no one had yet registered an interpresence for the topic or the planned monument. I immediately reserved the domain 'bismarck-czorneboh.de' on the afternoon of October 16, 2021 in order to get ahead of the initiators. Since I couldn't or didn't want to create a corresponding website so quickly, I simply redirected to the Sorbian Institute's website. After a few hours - that same evening, I was asked by the Sorbian Institute to stop forwarding. That was the starting signal to take action and within a very short time I created the graphic above. Based on this, I created further collages which I published every few days in order to position myself artistically in the debate.

Monumente sollen stehen oder nichts II

- Von Thälmann zu Bismarck 1991 — 2021