Dario Azzellini & Oliver Ressler, 67 min.

In Venezuela, a profound social transformation identified as the Bolivarian process has been underway since Hugo Chávez’s governmental takeover in 1998. It concerns a broad process of self organization, from which has developed a progressive constitution, a labor law, new educational possibilities, and a number of further reforms for the impoverished majority of the population of what is potentially a wealthy state. The government’s politics, which take an open stance against neo-liberalism, have experienced vehement rejection from Venezuela’s major private industries and from the U.S., expressed in two attempted coups and boycotts. Nonetheless, Chávez and his government enjoy the trust of the majority of the population. The society is heavily politicized; many people who had never before thought of what they wanted to change are now a part of a profound transformation taking place in the country.

In the film “Venezuela from Below,” the true actors in the social process are able to speak: the grassroots. After an introduction by philosopher Carlos Lazo, workers from the oil company PDVSA in Puerto La Cruz report how in 2002/2003 they protected the refinery from breaking down during the oil sabotage, which was pawned off as a strike, and how they were able to reinstate oil production. Several farmers from a newly founded cooperative in Aragua report on their process of self organization, on the literacy campaign, and how things should continue. A women’s bank project in Miranda and several loan recipients from Caracas’ disadvantaged district, 23 de Enero, present their projects. Indígena community members near the Orinoco river in Bolívar speak about how their demands and struggles are reflected in the constitution and what has changed for them. Workers from the occupied National Valve Company in Los Teques and the paper production company Venepal in Carabobo – which was occupied by 350 workers after the owners drove it to bankruptcy, and which now, after a partial agreement, is running production again – speak about corrupt unions, labor control, and their struggles. Protagonists in the revolutionary movement Tupamaro, the cultural foundation Simón Bolívar, the leftist website www.23.net, and the Bolivarian Circle Abrebrecha from 23 de Enero report on their work and what has changed for them through the social revolutions.

They are the people of the grassroots and they speak about what they did and what they are doing, how they feel about the Bolivarian process, about their expectations and ideas. They see themselves as part of the process that is underway, but also problematize numerous points. The search for a social and economic model beyond neo-liberalism is no easy terrain; there are currently no successful, tested alternatives. The protagonists in the Bolivarian process have, however, set upon a path from which there is no return.

The film is available in Spanish, with English or with German subtitles.

• Concept, interviews, film editing, production: Dario Azzellini & Oliver Ressler
• Camera: Volkmar Geiblinger
• Image editing and titles: Markus Koessl
• Interviewees: Titina Azuaje, Gustavo Borges, Stalin Pérez Borges, Juan Brizuela, Bertha de Castillo, José Ramón Castillo, Eduardo Daza, Arlenis Espinal, Freddy Farias, Juán Fermín, José Flores, Randy García, Círe y Guarán, Sandra Heredia de Goncalves, Juana Catalina Guzman, María Elisa Irazabal de Píneda, Natalí Jaimes, Carlos Lazo, Henry Mariño, Maritza Marquez, Esther de Mena, Esteban Michelena, Argelia Naguanagua de Ramos, Emma Ortega, Edgar Peña, Judith Sánchez, José Mercedes Sifontes, Alfonso Tovar, Antolino Vasquez, Eduardo Yaguaracuto
• Grants: Kunstsektion des BKA, Stiftung Umverteilen

A poster by Martin Krenn & Oliver Ressler

Martin Krenn & Oliver Ressler realized a new work on racism for “Minority Report: Challenging Intolerance in Contemporary Denmark”. One version of this work has been presented as a 4 x 4 m large banner on the facade of the The Equestrian Hall in Aarhus, Denmark, where a part of the exhibition takes place. During the night of September 24-25, 2004 – one day before the opening of Minority Report – it was taken down and stolen by an unknown person/group. This incident has already been reported to the police and an investigation started.

The second version of this work on racism by Martin Krenn & Oliver Ressler has been produced as a poster for display in 90 city light boxes in the city of Aarhus during the week of October 18-24. But the billboard company AFA JCDecaux at this point rejects to present the billboards to the public. They claim that it is not possible to present a work which uses the logo with the 12 stars of the European Union. This is of course only a very week excuse, as these stars cover only a small percentage of the billboard. It is not a copy right violation for sure, but it is a very common artistic strategy to use existing graphic material and realize something new with it. It is obvious that the company and Aarhus Municipality do not want to present the billboards in their city light boxes because of its political content. The curatorial team of Minority Report and the artists are currently negotiating with the billboard company and Aarhus Municipality to get the posters displayed and make them available to a larger audience through that.

The text on the banner and billboard posters read:

The ruling principle of capitalism legitimizes itself by means of two contrary ideologies: on the one hand the universalistic claim of the competitive society and on the other hand racism and sexism. Capitalism’s non-redeemable promise of equality is in need of ideologies of inequality like racism. Racism makes legitimate the existing relations of inequality in capitalism and thereby contributes to its reproduction. Anti-racist practice should therefore always also aim at the demontage of the capitalist system.

The artists state: “It is a shame that the city of Aarhus rejects to make our billboards available to the public in their 90 city lightboxes, although they agreed to do so at an earlier stage. The theft of our banner before the opening of Minority Report and the reaction of Aarhus Municipality to censor our anti-racist art work seem to be linked to the political situation in Denmark. The existing dominant image of the right-wing politics of exclusion in Denmark unfortunately has been confirmed through this action.” (17.10.04)

Posters against racism and EUropean politics could not be censored

Posters designed by artists Martin Krenn & Oliver Ressler for Aarhus on the topic of racism are finally installed in 90 light boxes throughout downtown Aarhus. The posters will stay up until October 24, 2004. This was possible, though the billboard company AFA JCDecaux rejected to present the billboards to the public until Friday, October 15, 2004. They claimed that it is not possible to present a work which uses the logo with the 12 stars of the European Union. It was obvious that the company and Aarhus Municipality did not want to present the billboards in their city light boxes because of its political content. After pressure by media like TV Denmark, radio stations and newspapers and an intervention by Martin Krenn & Oliver Ressler to destroy three stars of the EU Logo on the poster Aarhus Municipality had to give in. The very weak excuse to censor the work because of a “copy right violation” was undermined by the intervention from the artists.