(VFF) Voices For Fascism, 2022

white balloons, white pedal fan, sound, breath

The title of the sight specific work could not be more juxtaposed to the audience’s experience. Out of nowhere, unwarranted, sensationalising, patronising, shock for shock value are just a few responses that come to mind. What we see in the work is the Clearview Gallery space as we know it: a glass vitrine attached to the Fine Arts Block of Massey University. The shopping vitrine is filled with approximately five hundred white balloons in different stages of their more or less inflated lifetime – originally filling up the gallery space half, reducing vastly.

Accompanied are the balloons, which inherit the breath of the artist, by a Pedestal Fan of the same colour.

At times, this fan is operating, creating a whimsical move of some of the balloons, the main body of them yet stays still.

Infrequently voices reach out of the box, barely audible only at close the audience can hear sentences like “We love you!”, “You are valid!”, “Freedom”, a balloon pops, laughter.

This is the second work as a response to a group known latest since the Wellington Protests early 2022, under the name Voices for Freedom. Starting off as an anti-vaxx, anti- mandate propaganda machine, now, after the mandates have been dropped, the groups’ new goal is to throw over the government, whilst continuing to associate with right wing fascist groups like Freedom of Speech and there alike.
The group was initiated by three pākehā women who share being financially privileged, tertiary educated mothers with a lot of free time and knowledge about social media at their hands.

The discrepancy between what the audience aesthetically experiences, playful, innocent balloons paired with a comical, affirmation shouting squeaky voice is a direct reflection of how accessible fascism is made by this group. Taking a step back and trying to understand why the anti-vaxx movement, regardless of its use of clear fascist imagery, threats and propaganda was able to gain momentum/followers, the answer is simple: Appropriation. Of language, concepts, ideals. Using the fear of the unknown, like a pandemic, paired with the fuel of separation anxiety, “otherness” fascism is at its most basic and therefore its best: You are valid. You are heard. You are loved.

This is all not new, as we watch the western world take a hard right turn when confronted with Inflation, war, noticeable climate changes, viruses, and their never-ending variations – it equally is not new for the “artworld” to place balloons in a box and see them swirl.
Why not move on, rest assured by their political defeat in the recent communal elections? Because these white, privileged women not only appropriate language, not only lure with trending promises of “community,” “mindfulness” and “empowerment” – their brand credibility most strongly relies on the fact that they all share: Motherhood.
Using inadequate stereotypes is not an innovation of 2022 either, however, it is the pillar of success for this group, a real “game changer” in the recruitment of a broad range of members: Mothers. Idealising motherhood as this nurturing, protective, vulnerable, innocent, truth-seeking and truth-speaking force – we can pretend in our liberal Wellington bubble that we have seen the worst and the voices fade out into the rural areas of this country. But fascism seems to disappear as fast as the microplastic in human breastmilk. Carrying the history of her German roots, the artist strongly believes that ignorance feeds fascism and therefore does not get tired creating works to remind us of its existence.