Race construction of the Volksgemeinschaft
| title: |
Race construction of the Volksgemeinschaft |
| year: | 2012 |
| dimensions: | 200/170 cm |
| technique: | photographic printout |
| description: | In the book Nation and Nationalism, Ernest Gellner popularized the theory that nationalism is creating nations, not vice versa. Therefore, the conclusion is that race is not a biological reality, also: race is constructed through racism: (a set of ideologies and practices imposed by groups dominating the weaker groups). Both the nation and the race are, in their own way, the results of ideological projects. An important field of popular (mass) culture, on which the radical, political racist message is spread, are football stadiums. It is also related to the specificity of sport and physical culture as a form of shaping identity: identity here is an element of corporal rivalry, with rival body players symbolizing the community (eg national team), being its spectacular, symbolic extension. The project is an attempt to critically look at supporter environments in the context of racism and xenophobia that are marked by discrimination at Polish stadiums.
On six boards from pvc, colorful printouts of football fans' portraits were placed (Lechia Gdańsk & Śląsk Wrocław, Legia). On the faces of football fans, a grid was created to prevent identification of the suspects. Fan communities (ultras) often represent extreme nationalism, which is clearly visible thanks to the slogans demonstrated during matches. Selected passwords reveal manifestation of intolerance and have been placed (as a quote) under the portraits of the ultras. Volksgemeinschaft - a national community in the Nazi propaganda, a term used in reference to the idea of a community of the German nation defined in the context of Nazi racial criteria. In the years 1933-1945, the idea of the German nation was promoted by the Nazis as a socio-political and cultural monolith which was reflected in the culture and art of the Third Reich, and was also an important element of the Nazi program of youth education.
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