Enraged citizens in the countries of the Arab Spring, in Istanbul or in Brazil strike back at social and political misgovernment. 'We witness a global uproar against incapacitation and arbitrary governmental rule', writes Gero von Randow on June 20, 2013 in the German weekly newspaper ZEIT. And further: 'The growing up of a generation that experiences rebellion is likely to be one of the most important results of the events in Southern Europe, in the Arab countries, in Turkey and Iran.'

Having in mind Occupy and Stuttgart 21 it is creaking massively on the stages of capitalism as well. Due to media and internet, local conflicts experience attention worldwide. Quickly, supporters and opponents turn up in other countries; the reports in the media and the protests on the streets mutually intensify.

Those angry protests reveal how much our society is driven by affects and which important incitement they are for socio-political transformation processes. Affects are the impetus for current changes within politics and democracy. They challenge existing power structures and draw the larger crowds the fiercely affect-driven citizens collide with a denying financial, military or governmental administration.
Affects are an important momentum of our time. Increasingly they coin our social and socio-political order, discourse and values systems. They are an essential part of our culture, sociality and politics and hold power outrunning the individual.

Eleven international artists critically approach the topic and confront the beholder with differing affects.

Affects is an international exhibition cooperation with the Geementemuseum Helmond (NL) and the Cultuurcentrum Mechelen (BE).

Artists

Halil Altindere (TR), Keren Cytter (IL), Cyprien Gaillard (FR), Meiro Koizumi (JP), Aernout Mik (NL), Suzanne Opton (US), Santiago Sierra (ES), Mathilde ter Heijne (NL), Ryan Trecartin (US), Bill Viola (US), Tomoya Watanabe (JP)