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📍On September 21, INDECLINE, the art collective renowned for its provocative and politically-charged works, will unveil their first-ever gallery show, "KILLING THE PRECEDENT," at Superchief Gallery LA. This exhibition promises to engage audiences with a compelling critique of contemporary socio-political issues through a multifaceted array of artworks.
Formed in 2001, INDECLINE has carved out a niche at the intersection of art and activism, with their work appearing in esteemed publications such as The New York Times, Vice, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Complex, The LA Times, and Time. Their guerrilla installations and incisive social critiques have consistently challenged conventional perspectives and ignited public discourse. INDECLINE has garnered significant notoriety from their powerful billboard art installations addressing civil rights, women's rights, freedom of religion, and police brutality.
“Killing the Precedent” is poised to be INDECLINE’s most complete presentation to date, featuring a curated retrospective that highlights the collective’s evolution and impact over the past two decades. The exhibition reflects INDECLINE’s ongoing commitment to pushing boundaries and provoking thought.
📢 Show Statement from INDECLINE:
The problem with fascism is that it takes the means for the ends and makes power its own purpose, for its own sake. It's not so important it stands for much else, as long as it is standing on our neck, so we can't protest. What "killing the precedent" means is finding new ways to present dissident art that remains dissident, even as capitalism continues to turn each novel critique into its next emerging market.
Plus, in an era where fascism is a major political movement, keeping open back channels and whisper networks is as important as the protest itself (as what is useful for protest today can later be useful for organization and self preservation). Instead of violence, we practice a counterinsurgency of art -- even, gasp, vandalism -- because we know that fascism seeks to reduce its opposition to violence, since violence is the only real logic beyond propaganda that it wields effectively.
Instead, we seek to replace terror with humor, intimidation with mischief, demagogues with their own image made into an inescapable parody. When you assassinate a tyrant, you are, best case, giving their heir the justification they have been waiting for all along, as well as eliminating any illusion of a moral higher ground, but when you make a tough guy look foolish enough, that's often all it takes to break the spell. Without fear, what even is a strong man? And without that higher ground, what is a revolutionary? Don't ask Stalin, ask Marx. Groucho Marx.