DER UNDIPLOMAT

acrylics on wood, digital print on paper & steel

Der Undiplomat (translation: The “Undiplomat”) leans against the wall, depicting a hybrid, messianic/threatening figure – something between a queen and a sheep – positioned in an archway and surrounded by an “exotic” and vulnerable environment. Beneath the figure appears a proto-state emblem. On either side of the painting, two rolls of paper hang down to the floor. These digitally printed scrolls describe two distinct types of undiplomats: both immediately identify weak points and “put their finger in the wound.” However, while one twists the finger – exacerbating chaos – the other sharpens focus by doing the same gesture with clarity and intent.

In its first configuration, the undiplomat can be read as a prototype emblematic of a vulgarizing and destabilizing era – perhaps akin to a Trump-like figure. In the latter version, however, the undiplomat emerges as a heroic and uncompromising role model: someone who confronts weakness, discards the unnecessary, and addresses problems directly.

This installation was exhibited in 2019 at the Performance Philosophy Festival Am Nerv der Demokratie at LOFFT, Leipzig.