In addition to the public backlash which music artist Sophie Straat received following her performance mid July at Best Kept Secret festival, the most recent target in the visual arts is Clublokaal in Breda. This art space was threatened with funding cuts by the largest political party in the municipal council for a performance by artist collective Balik/Bayan. The performance took place at the closing event of the recent group exhibition (un(h)armed, that addressed the growing militarization of your society.

Artistic freedom in The Netherlands remains under pressure from (online) intimidation towards artists and threats from politicians to cut funding from art spaces if they don’t like what artists have to say. In response to this systemic problem in the cultural sector, as previously recognized by the Council for Culture, and in light of several recent incidents, Platform Beeldende Kunst is a contributor and co-signer of the statement issued on 23 July by De Creatieve Coalitie, Akademie van Kunsten, Kunsten ‘92 and 7 other sector-specific cultural platforms (see below). Together, we are currently working out what more we can do to support artists and art spaces that are facing such infringements of their rights.

The threats issued by VVD Breda faction towards Clublokaal refer to an artwork which is an effigy in the form of a toy box with an action figure in the liking of the current NATO chief Mark Rutte. Effigies of large scale figures are a common protest tool in the Philippines, the home country of the artist collective Balik/Bayan, as well as in other parts of the world. After a public display, the effigy, representing an oppressive power, is collectively destroyed to express the power of the people to overcome injustice. This particular artwork is intended to criticise the gamification of the military industry, and the puppetry role which chiefs of NATO find themselves in to execute the predetermined mission of the organisation. Similarly, the destruction of the effigy representing a NATO toy figure is a symbolic artistic performance and a visual metaphor to the harm and damage that increased militarisation does to our society. This is not completely foreign to local practices in Breda, where the burning of the two large-scale puppets Kiske & Mieske is a yearly ritual during the Carnaval.

As an artist-led association advocating for fair practice of the arts sector, we are alarmed that artistic expression which is courageous to confront high-stake issues in our society is met with the threat of censorship. Platform BK denounces actions inciting opinion-based violence against politicians, artists, as well as any indvidual in this society. One of the widely recognized social functions of cultural work is to expose and denounce injustice. Often, the aim for socially engaged artists is for their work to reach the attention of those in decision-making positions. Democracy does not stop at the voting booth. Artists must be allowed their agency to reflect on the status-quo using artistic expression which includes symbolism, metaphor, and the imagination towards different ways of being.

In an open and democratic society, there should be room for debate and criticism. Retaliation of elected representatives with the threat of withdrawing public funds from cultural institutions is an abuse of power. Voices and expressions amplified by artists are a call for accountability and a temperature check of the public’s sentiment towards executed policies. Artists speaking out should be heralded for their courage and met with serious political engagement – which might include expressions of disagreement or distaste, but not with threat of punishment. Politicians and public administrators have a special responsibility to exercise restraint. That has been widely recognized since at least Thorbecke (1862) as a firm principle in the Dutch constitutional tradition.[1]

Balik/Bayan has issued an open letter which can be read and signed here. We stand in solidarity with Clublokaal, the artist collective Balik/Bayan, and all artists, art spaces and platforms who speak truth to power towards social equity, democracy and liberation.

The sector-wide statement is a joint effort by the Akademie van Kunsten, BAM!, De Creatieve Coalitie, Kunsten ’92, Kunstenbond, Platform ACCT, Museumvereniging, Music Managers Forum Nederland, Nederlandse Associatie Podiumkunsten, Vereniging Nederlandse Jazzpodia en Jazzfestivals, Vereniging Nederlandse Poppodia en Festivals, De Verenigde Podiumkunsten Festivals, Vereniging Schouwburg- en Concertgebouwdirecties, Vereniging van Nederlandse Orkesten, and Platform Beeldende Kunst.

The statement written by Clublokaal can be read on their website via this link.

Platform BK has previously written about the pressure on artistic freedom and the responsibility of cultural work to speak for freedom. You can read this speculative report of the Paradisodebat 2025.