I had seen this installation before, having spent many hours strolling around The Whitney Museum of American Art. This time, it seemed different. I couldn’t place it. Artwork in a gallery doesn’t change, right? This time, wrong.
The original depicts raised fists of famous political and cultural figures, including Martin Luther King Jr, Richard Nixon, and Jane Fonda. The images and the format in which they are portrayed signify a grievance but the subject matter is unspecified.
Following recent political events artist Annette Lemieux requested her work, Left Right Left Right, be reinstalled upside down. This was her commitment to continuing the power of protests. In her own words she felt that “the world has turned upside down”.
So, how can art change the world? There isn’t one answer. Everyday acts of resistance and change. Everyday acts of love and kindness.