The Alt-Right Complex – On Right-Wing Populism Online

Curated by Inke Arns (HMKV), the international group exhibition deals with forms of right-wing populism, which, especially today, use the Internet and „social media" to disseminate ideas. The Alt-Right Complex traces the development from a (sub)culture of transgression in online forums such as 4chan to platforms such as Breitbart News. The artists deal with memes (e.g. Pepe the Frog, probably the most famous symbol of the Trump followers), with figures such as Steve Bannon, flag worship, the prepper scene, White Supremacists and Dark Enlightenment. The exhibition is accompanied by a critical glossary with more than 30 entries that briefly explains the most important terms.

The Alt-Right Complex presents twelve projects by 16 artists from twelve countries: Germany, France, Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland, Serbia and Slovakia. A wide variety of artistic media can be seen in the exhibition: comics, wall paintings, videos, (video) installations, posters to take away, game instructions, net art, an artists' book, a speculative museum and a flag machine.

Participating artists: Paula Bulling / Anne König (DE), Simon Denny (NZ), DISNOVATION.ORG (FR/PL), Vera Drebusch & Florian Egermann (DE), Dominic Gagnon (CA), Szabolcs KissPál (HU), Boris Ondreička (SK), Milo Rau / IIPM – International Institute of Political Murder (CH/DE), Vanja Smiljanić (RS), Jonas Staal (NL), Nick Thurston (GB), UBERMORGEN (CH/AT)

The exhibition will feature various events - performances, artists' talks and a series of lectures ("The Kids Are Alt-Right").

In May 2019, a bilingual accompanying the exhibition will be published, comprehensively documenting the exhibition in pictures and text. In addition to the curator's introduction and an interview with Angela Nagle, it will contain descriptions of all works and the complete glossary (German/English, ca. 128 pp., €5.00).

The Alt-Right Complex is an exhibition by HMKV (Hartware MedienKunstVerein), Dortmund, Germany

Curated by Inke Arns (HMKV)

Scenography: please don't touch, Dortmund
Graphic design: e o t . essays on typography, Berlin

Partner: Urbane Künste Ruhr – Ruhr Ding: Territorien
Funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Kunststiftung NRW
Funder HMKV: Kulturbetriebe Stadt Dortmund / Dortmunder U - Zentrum für Kunst und Kreativität
The lecture series "The Kids Are Alt-Right" is supported by the Coordination Office for Diversity, Tolerance and Democracy of the City of Dortmund and the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.