“What is democracy?” This is the question at the center of Austrian artist Oliver Ressler's (* 1970) eponymous video installation from 2009, for which he interviewed activists and analysts around the world. In view of climate change and the rise of the right in Europe, the question of political participation is as urgent as ever. Ressler’s new work, “Scenes from the Invention of Democracy," which is presented here for the first time, also deals with protest, in this case against the planned expansion of a car testing track that threatens a forest in Apulia, a drought-stricken region in Italy. The show presents four video works, all of which turn on political, social, and environmental issues and which serve as a vivid demonstration of Ressler’s artistic practice. He aims to stimulate critical reflection on the status quo while highlighting the options for direct action open to those who seek change.
Engaging with subjects such as democracy, work, migration and the environment, all of which are inextricably interwoven and similarly exposed to the impacts of globalization and capitalism, Ressler trains his critical gaze on political systems, the influence of economics, and how we are treating our planet. By documenting protests and acts of civil disobedience, Ressler encourages us to ponder existing power structures as well as the scope for action open to those wanting to bring about political and social change. The works derive all the more urgency and topicality from the on-going climate crisis and global rise of authoritarianism.

Website
tinguely.ch/en/exhibitions/exhibitions/2025/oliver-ressler.html

Where
Museum Tinguely
Paul Sacher-Anlage 2
4002 Basel

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