Parnassian art or not (politically engaged art)?

Since I am an artist, first a musician, and now a concept artist, and that I am published, I realize that this or these public trades are exposed - to the eye and ears of the public, of course, but not only - to many circumstances that make its exercise difficult. Any art is depending on the social context which it is related to. The social context is diverse, of course, because people are diverse. It's not new. And we can even say that the diversity of people, without dealing with any of the political expressions it can generate, over the centuries, with the fall of « surmoïques » standards, overall, such as religious dogmas or laws - well let this consideration be measured and that it is far from being generalizable - of an unfair nature, moves forward. Not all geographical areas know the same degree of diversity of opinions, styles and choices of life or belonging. At the same time, it is sometimes difficult to take on and make your own choices, even cultural - although freedom is more difficult to repress, as soon as that cultural actors give the greatest number of access to their artistic work - according to its closest or narrow context. The life of a man or woman is often marked by an evolution of his aesthetic tastes throughout his life, and some periods of it are more important, such as teens. The global context, with the global economy and new access to culture, including music, such as social networks, artist websites, online commerce and streaming, allow many to have access to our work. In more installed media, such as radio or television, artists must face the standards of audience or political choices of their leaders. Digital reduces this dilemma, by offering a third path, that of everyone, that of the public, which is various. However, policies decide how the art trade is framed. Is this his only involvement? No, of course: policies, and therefore cultural policies, must allow, if not promote, artistic expressions (to limit me to these). Why? Because they are expressions of the humanity of each artist and of what he has original, singular, new, creative, to propose. So we must ask ourselves this question - which is a real problem - do we give total freedom, in respect of other people, to artists? This question involves freedom of political expression. This is real issue, in so-called democracies, as much as in the countries where political systems are officially dictatorial. Is there real political democracy in the world?

Christophe Gervot, musician, concept artist, writer, psychoanalyst, translator and trainer, 2020-5-30.