Artist / Activist

Speaking truth to power

September 3–December 14, 2024

The phrase “speaking truth to power” originated in the Civil Rights and Peace movements of the mid-20^th century. It refers to the act of non-violently challenging political, economic, social and cultural leaders, and holding them accountable for actions, words and ideas that result in injustice, inequality and harm to others. Speaking truth to power requires courage and a willingness to risk one’s reputation, livelihood and sometimes even one’s life to express beliefs that go against entrenched interests and status-quo public opinions.

Although the phrase is relatively recent, the idea of speaking truth to power is ancient, and can be found in cultures around the world stretching back thousands of years. The term “speak” suggests that this form of protest is primarily verbal, but challenges to established power structures can also be expressed through literature, visual art, music and social behavior. This exhibition highlights the work of selected 20^th and 21^st-century visual artists who used their art to fight for civil rights, social justice, and environmental protections, and against political oppression, economic inequality, and war.

Some of the artists represented in the exhibition paid a steep price for their activism. Käthe Kollwitz was declared a “degenerate artist” by the Nazi regime in the 1930s and lost her job and the copyrights to many of her artworks. In the 1960s, Ernest Cole had to flee the apartheid government in his native South Africa and lived the remainder of his life in exile, impoverished and often homeless. Wang Guangyi in the 1990s lived under the constant threat of imprisonment and possible execution for his artworks that criticized the political and social policies of the Communist Chinese government.

Even in situations where the consequences are not so severe, making art that challenges power structures and causes discomfort is an act of bravery. Not all art needs to make political statements or advocate for change, and there is equally great value in art that engages people’s minds, lifts their spirits, and adds beauty to the world. But as long as we live in challenging times, we need art that speaks truth to power to raise people’s consciences and promote the common good.

Artist / Activist was organized by the Kruizenga Art Museum and all of the artworks in the exhibition belong to the museum’s permanent collection. The museum is grateful to all the donors whose gifts helped make the exhibition possible: David Jensen, Roberta VanGilder ’53 Kaye, Ronald ’62 and Gerri Vander Molen, David Kamansky and Gerald Wheaton, and Scott Tannen.

Image: Eka Numu, Red Comanche, Nocona Burgess (American, b. 1969) 2014. Oil on canvas. Hope College Collection, 2021.10

View the Artist / Activist exhibition and related artworks in the KAM collection database 

Download the Artist / Activist exhibition catalog (PDF)