To Live Outside the Law You Must be Honest is comprised of 3 scripted video works, each performed by the same actor, Ian Burns, in different roles. The main video is recorded in Christiania, a free town in the centre of Copenhagen that was created in the early 1970’s. Under increasing outside pressure, it manages to operate without private ownership and through a system of consensus democracy, up to today. Informed by interviews with Christiania’s residents, the video addresses issues of self-government and self-policing. The other 2 videos were filmed in London, and are based on interviews with self-pronounced libertarians on the left and right in the political spectrum. In all 3 works the issues of freedom and participatory democracy are addresssed, but very different conclusions are drawn. This work was produced with the Christiania Researcher in Residence Program.
To Live Outside the Law You Must be Honest
Insa Art Space, Seoul
Casco Projects, Utrecht
Taipei Biennial
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Nikolaj CCA, Copenhagen
Arsenale Art, Poznan
ADN Gallery, Barcelona
24th Youth Salon, Zagreb