Artists For Soup

Declaration of Solidarity

We, the undersigned artists, want to declare our support for the brave activists who souped Van Gogh’s Sunflowers in London earlier this month and those who used similar tactics at museums in several countries.  Our love of art, beauty, and humanity lead us to this position. We have three reasons for standing in solidarity: 

Art is meant to inspire, open people’s minds, and challenge us. 

The painting has not been damaged; in fact, it was covered by a protective pane of glass. The meaning of the art itself is what we assign to it, and the actions the activists chose to take are a powerful symbol of resistance. They did not harm the painting or others in the museum, but they turned the eyes of the world toward the climate crisis through their actions. Art should shake people up, make bold claims, change lives, and transform politics - which is exactly what the protestors are aiming to do.  

Art reflects society and culture and though we have no idea how Van Gogh would feel or think, we know he loved nature and we believe he would have a strong voice about the crisis humanity is facing.

Global governments have failed, and young people are sounding the alarm however they can.

Decades of government inaction have left 56% of young people globally thinking that humanity is doomed. It is easy for older generations and the powers that be to blame these young protestors for being short-sighted, desperate, or operating with malice.  But we see this moment through a different lens - they are forcing us to reckon with ourselves and our own choices, using whatever means they can. 

The climate activists refuse to be ignored, and the demonstration worked. 

Emissions are still rising. The media ignores marches, school strikes, and other non-disruptive forms of activism that many people are taking part in globally. Yet this act of protest has touched a nerve. It has been viewed more than 50 million times and covered with both opinion and news stories in the New York Times, Washington Post, BBC, FOX, and many other publications and news outlets. This demonstration has launched hundreds of millions of conversations in ways that more conventional means of protest have not. 

We declare that artists' voices have a critical part to play in the massive challenge of protecting humanity and all life from the accelerating climate emergency. 

Now is the time to say, "Enough!" It’s time to support these protestors who have brought so much attention they have brought to the climate emergency, to support them financially, and to support them publicly. We are proud to do so.