‘Die Holzdiebe’ – Exhibition of Sharon Kivland’s work opens on Friday 12 October at ZAK, Berlin

Die Holzdiebe
Saturday 13 October 2018 – Sunday 06 January 2019
Opening: Friday 12 October, 7PM
ZAK Zentrum für Aktuelle Kunst, Alte Kaserne
Zitadelle, Berlin

In the bicentenary of Marx’s birth, the exhibition is founded on Marx ’s articles for the Rheinische Zeitung, reporting on the proceedings of the Sixth Rhine Province Assembly, ‘Debates on the law of thefts of wood’, and a number of commentaries thereon, in particular Daniel Bensaïd’s book Les dépossédés. 

Collectively, the animals of the forest rise up with an instinctive sense of right, gathering the alms of nature, their roots positive and legitimate. They resist that their customary rights should become the monopoly of the rich. They assemble and assert their rights. The stoats have news from France. They ask what property is and the birds reply that it is theft. The squirrels refuse any definition of property that privileges the wealthy, and propose a social solidarity. The weasels cry out that they are nature and nature is theirs alone. The fox maintains that a customary right by its very nature can only be a right of a lowest, property-less, and elemental class. The lynx and badger will fight against any plundering of the commons. None will accept punishment where there is no crime.

 

Bensaïd ends Les dépossédés thus: ‘the question remains: selfish calculation or solidarity, property or the inalienable right to existence, which will prevail? Our lives are worth more than their profits: “Arise, wretched of the earth”.’

Dr Sharon Kivland is a Reader in Fine Art at Sheffield Hallam University. Find out more about Sharon Kivland’s books and other works here.