How the Dutch State promotes militarisation and how art workers can stand against this.

As Dutch defense spending reaches unprecedented highs and artistic freedom narrows under political pressure, the question is no longer whether artists can stay neutral, but whether neutrality itself sustains violence. While Europe is re-arming itself in the face of new geopolitical tensions, the Netherlands has quietly shifted billions from cultural and social budgets into defense spending. Artists, educators and cultural workers find themselves again among those most affected by austerity.
Following the publishing of the article ‘Up in Arms’, the three partners (Platform Beeldende Kunst, Alina Lupu and Jacobin NL) are organising a public event to bring the topic of artwashing and militarisation into the physical public realm. This event brings together writers, academics, artists and artist collectives in a bi-lingual (Dutch and English) symposium programme.