Art as Activism: Tania Bruguera’s 100 Hours Reading The Origins of Totalitarianism and the Power of Protest

This was not simply a recitation but a participatory, immersive experience that invited the public to engage in the process of reading aloud. Groups of people or individuals were encouraged to sign up and either read from the book or perform their own visual or auditory pieces relating to the topic of the book, a reflection of totalitarianism. The reading reflects on how totalitarian regimes come to be and their impact on the citizens subjected to totalitarian regimes. This subject had major connections, outside of the clear parallels to current political controversies,   to the Nazi regime of the past, the stronghold of which was located in Germany. Additionally, Germany is known to be unforgiving about political censorship due to the history of fascism and Nazis in the 1940s. This topic of totalitarian regimes and its relevance to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict  ended up inspiring a reaction in a large number of people. Bruguera turned what could have been a passive consumption of a text into an active, communal experience. The inclusion of the audience in the performance highlighted the collective nature of political resistance—underscoring that the fight against authoritarianism and against the erosion of democratic values requires sustained, collective effort. Bruguera’s own background, having grown up under the totalitarian regime in Cuba, informed her engagement with themes of oppression and power.

What inspired the largest in response to this performance was actually a portion of the piece that was not planned. Initially, a group of Palestinian activists signed up and demonstrated according to their cause and were then asked to leave. Later, these same activists returned and interrupted the ongoing performance. These activists voiced their opposition to the perceived complicity of the art world in supporting Israel's policies toward Palestine. They argued that by hosting Bruguera's performance without addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the art world was perpetuating Zionist ideologies, which they equated with totalitarian practices. This disruption shifted the focus of the performance from historical totalitarianism to present-day political struggles. The protestors' interruption underscored the complex, often contentious relationship between art, politics, and activism, and called attention to the ways in which art spaces, including those aimed at critique, can be complicit in broader political dynamics. After the interruption, museum staff managed to halt the art piece though Brugera insisted the chair used during the performance be left out.

The activists protesting the art piece unintentionally added a second layer of complexity and protest to the essence of the original reading demonstration. The interruption demonstrated the power of protest against political ideologies, but it also walked the line between effective and ineffective protesting given the polar responses in the wake of the reading demonstration and subsequent interruption. Despite Bruguera’s vocal support for Palestinian rights, including her signing of a letter condemning Israeli actions as genocide, the protestors targeted her reading as an example of what they saw as art’s complicity in the erasure of Palestinian suffering. This was especially shocking as Bruguera is Cuban, and Cuba has experienced political turmoil in relation to totalitarianism. This event highlighted the tension between different forms of resistance and critique, and how art, even when rooted in protest against totalitarianism, can be implicated in wider, unresolved global conflicts.

The reaction to Bruguera’s piece and the discourse it provoked provide an example of politics in art. Bruguera’s work, the subsequent protest, and the public’s response to the whole ordeal  is a perfect display of how deeply rooted politics is in the psyche of many. Despite the fact that Bruguera was simply reading from a book about politics on a public level, many people had very strong reactions to her and the piece.

The Hamburger Bahnhof museum put out a statement accusing the protestors of using hate speech in their protest. Many people, especially those passionate about political causes, may see political art as a site of either support or challenge to their ideologies. Via the unplanned protest that took place during Bruguera’s performance, the performance was transformed into a call for specific  political action and into a live demonstration of protest. The disruption highlighted the challenges of navigating political discourse through art—especially when an artwork that critiques one form of oppression might inadvertently appear to overlook or fail to address other pressing issues.

When we take a critical view of public art, Bruguera’s performance and its interruptions provide valuable lessons about the role of art in addressing difficult political topics. Art can often address difficult aspects of politics and life, and Bruguera’s performance exemplifies this. As this post demonstrates, public art often is tied to controversial issues and people will perceive it through different lenses accordingly. Understanding these dynamics is key to truly appreciating how art functions in society, especially when addressing contentious issues like authoritarianism, oppression, and global political struggles.