The Only True Protest according to Dries Van Noten

There is a phrase that has been living in my mind since I came across the Fondazione Dries Van Noten’s upcoming exhibition in Venice: The Only True Protest Is Beauty.

Inspired by activist Phil Ochs and curated by Van Noten himself alongside Geert Bruloot, the title frames beauty not as decoration but as catalyst. There is a supposition that beauty here relates to art and design.

While I am not protesting anything in particular, this declaration expresses a provocative concept. Making beauty despite personal circumstances, despite world conditions, despite internal thoughts even – can be a kind of act of rebellion, if not subversive. I recall the artwork of Zehra Doğan, made while she was imprisoned, with found materials in her cell.

Beauty is an ideal, and it reflects inner truth. It’s not a fixed image, but a questioning presence, implying that making is a process of discovery. The claim of beauty as a protest is a rallying cry to keep on creating, to persevere with artistic expression.

Thank you, Dries van Noten.