The manifest-like article: „Whoever loves art must hate the state“ appeared in the third "Antist" issue and shows the view of an "Antist" on Austria: "Austria is different. Austria does not know revolutions. Austria is a civil servant and operative state. The Austrian synonyme for freedom is pragmatism. To become one with the state as once God, Emperor and fatherland did - that is the Austrian bliss. Achievement does not count. Creativity is suspicious. In Austria one inherits. Education as well as the house, the social position or the flats in council housing. The credo of all political relevant parties and movements is state loyalty. Opposition in Austria – from left to right – is reduced to the call for more police, state authority and surveillance. Nothing else.“
The criticism on politics on state and federal level is only one of many topics that offers itself for criticism. Others are the Viennese and Austrian art scene, government subsidies, gallerists, museums and directors.
Lukas Pusch and TOMAK invited artists from the environment of „Der Antist“ to participate in the exhibition „Non Government Art“. The invited artist do not have the same formal aesthetic approach or a common theory of art or society. If „die Antisten“ are connected in any way then trough their rebellious attitude, an anarchic mistrust against the state and institutional art. An attitude which provides productive restlessness in today's art business and stands for nothing but the freedom of art.
The participating artists in the exhibition are:
John Barker, Blue Noses, Alexander Brener, Günter Brus, Daniel Chluba, Ines Doujak, Filius de Lacroix, Gerhard Frommel, Stefan Glettler, Karl Iro Goldblat, Rebecca Morgan, Maasai Mbili, Thomas Palme, Chloe Piene, Rudolf Polanszky, Lukas Pusch, Walter Schmögner, Barbara Schurz, Konstantin Skotnikov, Bengt Stiller, Sophia Süßmilch, Klaus Theuerkauf, TOMAK, Ursula Vischer, 5 Strafgefangene.
„Die Antisten“ write about what others are silent about. And determine accordingly what needs to be exhibited.
The exhibition is curated by Lukas Pusch.