The Art World Reacts to the Election of Donald Trump

Donald Trump was elected President on November 8, 2016, defeating the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

The Art World reacted on social media defending the democratic candidate and expressing shock and frustration in the moments following the election.

Zoe Buckman posted a picture on her Instagram showing a T-Shirt which previously stated “The Future is Female” after having changed it to “The Future is Fucked”.

Rebecca Solnit, art writer,  posted on Twitter “There is no way around this, this is horrible. Draw together with people you love, work hard at making spaces, times, networks in which our ideals and values prevail, reach out for the vulnerable, and pitch your tents big, because this ugliness is all about exclusion and narrowness and not wanting to deal with people who are different.”

Brasilian born, New York based artist Vik Muniz captioned his Instagram post “I am to sad to Tell You” quoting the Bas Jan Ader 1971 video.

Wolfgang Tillmans, who this year had already campaigned very strongly against Brexit, posted on Instagram an image of a crying Statue of Liberty .

Jerry Saltz, Senior Art Critic for New York Magazine has been posting various disappointed reaction including an hand written note saying “No one on this earth is hated or feared more than women” while Klaus Biesenbach, after reposting Wolfgang Tillmans Statue of Liberty added a fragment of “I am to sad to Tell You” as well as a Toni Morrison quote captioned “you are not alone in this”.

Artist Jake Chapman posted a note “Imagine all the cocaine and russian prostitutes and meth and shit he’s doing right this very minute…” and Daniel Arsham quoted a long speech by John F. Kennedy speaking to the American People on 11 June 1963.