Art-Activist Symmetry in the artwork of Oliver Ressler

Ele Carpenter reflects on the balance between political and artistic concerns in Oliver Ressler’s collaborative films, text works, and exhibitions. The works range from activist documentary, thought-provoking texts in public space, and a proposal for a series of banners which play on the language of political sloganeering. Ressler bridges the gaps between utopian vision and the tactical realities of political, economic, social and cultural change. Carpenter argues for an integrated approach to viewing both the creative and political together, as symmetrical modes of critical engagement, organising and being. By comparing Ressler’s collaborative films and texts, Carpenter reveals a distinct approach to making art which is fully engaged in debates about global economics, and an activism which understands the creative space required for cultural change.