Satire can be an effective tool of subversion. However, the technique has played a muted role in opposing governments and other powerful institutions over Covid lockdowns, climate alarmism and general wokery. The work of British artist Miriam Elia bucks this trend. Her current exhibition, The New Normal, evidences this.
Elia’s exhibition is at the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw until June 11th.
Spiked has published an interview with Elia where she criticises the current state of satire and discusses her exhibition.
Spiked: Would you say that satire is especially important today?
Elia: Humour is the most powerful way of communicating something serious. If you can laugh at something, you can belittle it. I think all kinds of tyrannies and ideologies don’t like humour. Satire makes people uncomfortable, but that’s a good thing.
I realised very early that I couldn’t just stand up and say what I thought, because people would just cancel me or say that I was this-or-that-phobic. So through holding up a mirror, I’m able to make people laugh at themselves and that’s the most important thing.
As a satirist, you’re supposed to hold a mirror up to things. I’m not necessarily judging anyone or anything. I try to be as neutral as possible. I think the skill is to not moralise or talk down to people. You have to understand everyone’s point of view, but you also have to make them reassess their own logic. If you just say “I think you’re wrong”, people won’t respond well to that. Holding a mirror up to their behaviour is way more powerful.
Worth reading in full.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.