Anything to Say?
Anything to Say? is an itinerant bronze sculpture and art installation by Italian artist Davide Dormino which was placed in Berlin's Alexanderplatz on May Day 2015. It features the whistleblowers Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and Chelsea Manning standing on three chairs; the entire installation (which includes a fourth, empty chair meant as a platform for public speaking) is to go on a global tour. The installation was unveiled by "ANYTHINGTOSAY," a private art project supported with an international crowdfunding.[1][2] In 2016 Davide Dormino was awarded the Prix Éthique 2016 by Anticor for Anything to Say?
| Anything to say? – A monument to courage | |
|---|---|
 The sculpture in Berlin's Alexanderplatz on May Day 2015. | |
| Artist | Davide Dormino |
| Year | 2015 |
| Type | sculpture |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Website | http://www.anythingtosay.com/ |
Message
"A lot of people say they are traitors, but I want to celebrate these living heroes," Davide Dormino says. "My work is a monument to the future."[3] Davide Dormino’s sculpture, Anything to say?", symbolizes the courage of whistleblowers and all those who fight to defend freedom of expression and information throughout the world. It travels from city to city to remind the public about the massive invasions of privacy, the information control and the disinformation to which they are subjected by governments and corporations, and about their democratic and legitimate right to know. Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden were chosen as examples of contemporary heroes who have put themselves in danger in order to reveal information and shed light on events that were hidden or misrepresented. Like them, countless citizens all over the world put their freedom, courage and integrity in the service of truth.[4] The sculpture is supported by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an NGO that defends media freedom.
Berlin – Alexanderplatz
On May 1, 2015 on the historical Alexanderplatz, in Berlin, the sculpture was unveiled with artist Davide Dormino, the speakers, the journalists and those who joined the event. Many people surrounded the sculpture, in turn stepping up on the chair to speak, or just to show their support. The speakers at the event who stood up on the chair armed with megaphones were: Davide Dormino, sculptor, Michel Rediske for Reporters without Frontiers, Hans Christian Ströbele from the German Green Party, Sarah Harrison for Wikileaks-Courage Foundation, Annie Machon, ex former MI5 intelligence officer, Ulrich Schreiber, director of Berlin International Literature Festival, Anjhula Mya Singh Bais actress and human rights activist. The sculpture does not endorse any specific political ideals or religious beliefs, neither does it belong to any specific country. Courage is for all. The project was born from the enthusiasm of a group of ordinary people who believe that courage is contagious.
Dresden – Theaterplatz
The sculpture has been exhibited in Dresden on June 1 in Theaterplatz for the International week to support Whistleblowing celebrated all over the world from June 1 to 7, 2015.
After Dresden, the sculpture has been exhibited to Ostrale 015, till September 2015. Ostrale 2015 is a famous art event whose aim is stimulating the dialogue among several artistic disciplines and different artistic fields for those artists who are interested in networking and connecting with people who not necessarily belong to the art system.
Geneva – Place des Nations
The sculpture stopped in Geneva during the 30th session of the Human Rights Council , on the Place des Nations from September 14 to 18, just in front of the United Nations building.[5] The support Committee for the event in Geneva is composed of the NGO Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), of the International Centre for Peace and Human Rights (CIPADH), of Blaise Lempen , Pilar Ackermann, Fabio Lo Verso, Charly Pache and of the representative of a group of citizens that contributed to the realisation of the project, Marco Benagli.
Paris – Georges Pompidou Centre
The Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris displayed the sculpture from September 23 to 29 in the square in front of the centre, where the display was inaugurated on September 23 in the presence of Dormino, Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire, UBS whistleblower Stéphanie Gibaud, Luc Hermann, an investigative journalist who is one of the directors of the Premières Lignes production company, and Marco Benagli, representing a civil society group that helped fund the project.
The French actress Catherine Deneuve[6] also attended as the inauguration’s sponsor. She sat in the sculpture’s empty chair and read an address written for the occasion by Irène Frachon, the French specialist who exposed the dangers of the antidiabetic drug Mediator.
Strasbourg – Place Kléber
The sculpture was displayed in Strasbourg ’s Place Kléber from November 16 to 21 as part of the annual Strasbourg World Forum for Democracy.[7] The display was inaugurated on November 17 in the presence of Dormino, Deloire and Luxleaks whistleblower Antoine Deltour .
Tours
The sculpture has been installed in front of the Gare de Tours during the 9th edition of the Assises du Journalisme, from March 9 to 11, 2016.
Perugia – Piazza IV Novembre
The sculpture Anything to Say? has been exhibited for the first time in Italy, in the historical square Piazza IV Novembre in Perugia, during the 10th International Journalism Festival (April 6–10, 2016).
An associated panel discussion entitled From WikiLeaks to Snowden: protecting high-value sources in the age of mass surveillance on Friday April 8 with speakers Sarah Harrison, Davide Dormino, John Goetz and Stefania Maurizi .
On April 6 during the 7th anniversary of the earthquake in L'Aquila,
Vincenzo Vittorini, the spokesman of a delegation struggling for truth and justice for the earthquake 309 victimes, stood up one the sculpture's empty chair to make a speech about the responsibility of the Italian Government in L'Aquila tragic events.
Belgrade
Promoted and supported by The Italian Institute of Culture in Serbia, with the collaboration of G12@HUB and the Radisson Artist Residency Program, Anything to say? has been exhibited at the contemporary art Dev9t Festival, from June 8 to 10, 2016.
Ptuj- Mestni trg Square
The sculpture has been exhibited in the Slovenian city during the 14th edition of the Art Stays Festival-politic(s) from July 8 until July 16.
Rome – P.le Aldo Moro
Promoted by MLAC- Museo Laboratorio di Arte Contemporanea and supported by La Sapienza University of Rome. The Sculpture has been exhibited in front of the entrance of the University from December 9 until December 13, 2016. At the opening there was hundred citizen and representatives of non-governmental organisations, universities, and students. Such people will include Gianni Rufini, Director of Amnesty International; Irene Caratelli, Director of the Department of International Relations and Global Politics at the American University of Rome, Professor Claudio Zambianchi, Director of MLAC.
Spoleto – Piazza Campello
July 6–13, 2019 On Saturday July 6 Anything to say has added a new stop on its route, arriving at Spoleto on the premises of Fuori Festival during the 62nd Edition of Festival dei Due Mondi . It's been an important stage where the speech, which was started over the past years in support of freedom of speech, has reached a wider extent in defense of all civil rights in our society and of journalism. For the first time, in fact, the event has been expressly dedicated to journalism in support of press freedom and of the sources of journalists' investigations. The speakers: Roberto Natale (FNSI) Lazzaro Pappagallo (Stampa Romana) Carlo Picozza (Ordine dei Giornalisti – Lazio) Alberto Spampinato (Ossigeno per l’Informazione) Giuseppe Cavalcanti (ANSA ) Matteo Bartocci ( Il Manifesto ) Raffaele Angius (giornalista) Stefania Maurizi ( La Repubblica )
Berlin – Brandenburger Tor
November 27–30, 2019 A sculpture of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange and whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning, returned to Berlin as Germany's Bundestag held a public hearing on Assange's UK extradition case. The event – organised by German political party Die Linke (The Left) – was also attended by Assange's father John Shipton , Wikileaks Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson , one of Assange’s case lawyers Renata Avila and UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer are taking part in a public hearing The sculpture was created by Italian artist Davide Dormino who was present at the rally. Speakers: Sevim Dagdelen , Abgeordnete der Fraktion DIE LINKE Dietmar Bartsch , MdB, Vorsitzender der Fraktion DIE LINKE im Deutschen Bundestag Sahra Wagenknecht , MdB Nils Melzer , UN-Sonderberichterstatter zum Thema Folter Kristinn Hrafnsson , Chefredakteur Wikileaks John Shipton , Vater von Julian Assange Davide Dormino, Künstler
Bruxelles – Place de la Monnaie
January 29–31, 2020 The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has taken part on Wednesday, January 29 to two events of the Belgian civil society, namely Carta Academica and Belgium4Assange, in public actions in Brussels to defend freedom of expression, press freedom and the right to know in general, Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Sarah Harrison and Edward Snowden in particular. Citizens, journalists, artists, human rights organizations and journalists' unions met in Brussels on Wednesday January 29 to call on the Belgian government to do all it can to protect Julian Assange and prevent his extradition to the United States.
Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning and Sarah Harrison are the 21st century heroes and fighters. They sacrificed their freedom for information, they sacrificed their lives for the truth," added Anthony Bellanger , standing on the 4th chair of Davide Dormino's sculpture, "Anything to say", Wednesday afternoon at Place de la Monnaie in Brussels, renamed Place Julian-Assange for the occasion.
References
- Statues Of Whistleblowers Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Bradley Manning Unveiled in Berlin, Germany at Inquisitr.com; published May 2, 2015; retrieved May 5, 2015
- Holy Trinity of whistleblowers: Statues of Assange, Snowden and Manning go up in Berlin (VIDEO) at RT; published May 2, 2015; updated May 3, 2015; retrieved May 5, 2015
- Bradley, Simon (October 12, 2015). "Which heroes should we cast in bronze? – SWI". Swissinfo.ch. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- "The Public Art Project Making the Case for Whistleblowers to Be Regarded as Heroes". Foreign Policy. September 15, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- "Exposition itinérante "Anything to Say"" (in French). CIPADH. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- "Les lanceurs d'alerte Snowden, Assange et Manning à Paris... en sculpture". Franceculture.fr. September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- "Liberté vs Contrôle : 4ème édition du Forum mondial de la démocratie – France 3 Alsace". France3-regions.francetvinfo.fr. Retrieved September 27, 2016.