Can artists be activists?
Italian artist AleXsandro Palombo uses cartoons to speak out about acid attacks, domestic violence, stereotyping and more
Acid attacks have been making headlines in countries like India for a while now. Is there a specific incident that caused you to recreate the Disney Princesses as Acid Attack Victims at this juncture?Even in Europe, including Italy, there have been cases of women scarred by acid, so it is now a global problem. My works always deal with important social issues, sometimes lightly, sometimes strongly. Violence against women is unacceptable and must be fought relentlessly. Disfiguring a woman with acid means erasing her identity and inflicting never-ending pain. It's a crime of immense inhumanity that has nothing to do with modern civilization. We are seeing a terrible social regression that brings us back to the Middle Ages. In our society, the machismo culture is growing and women are increasingly seen as objects to be possessed and not as autonomous entities. Not rebelling against these criminal acts means being an accomplice of the monsters who commit them. I am not an accomplice; we must all do our part. The governments must make tougher laws against the attackers, but without forgetting that it's through education and awareness that we can have a new generation that is better able to fight harder for equality between the sexes.
You have previously portrayed the Disney Princesses as disabled women. Is there a reason you keep turning back to these characters?We live in a society of stereotypes, where everything tends to homologate. My work poses questions and creates reflections concerning the importance of diversity and human rights. In this society there are many children with disabilities, who have the same rights as others. Altering the most iconic cartoon characters is one of the characteristics of my artistic vision. Disney fairy tales tell stories that are a couple of hundred years old, but we are in 2015 and the world is not the same as then, it has changed. Think about it.
Could you tell us what led you to depict Marge Simpson, Wonder Woman, Olive Oyl, Wilma Flintstone, Snow White and Lois as victims of family violence? What makes you choose these particular characters as your protagonists?Violence against women is an enormous social problem. In Italy, every two days, a woman is killed by a man. I think this is enough motivation.
What was your depiction of Marge Simpson in various iconic dresses throughout the ages meant to accomplish? Women seem to be a recurrent theme in your work, whether dealing with breast cancer or botox—is this intentional or purely coincidental?I wanted to break a stereotype. In the collective imagination, Marge is the housewife devoted to her home and to her family. She always wears the same dress. But this is an idea of women of other times; it's a bit too macho. In recent decades women have fought, and still do, so many battles for emancipation and gender equality. With my art, I wanted to focus on this and make people think. The answer is in the eye of the beholder.
Your rendering of The Simpsons in Auschwitz also seems to be getting attention. Could you tell us a little more about what got you started on this journey of activism and what do you hope to achieve through it?My social commitment began long ago. At the age of 13, I volunteered with the Red Cross and was always on the front line to help. At 18, I enlisted in the Italian Navy and for two years I took part in important international humanitarian missions. Through art, I bring forward my beliefs and thoughts. My works contain satire, irony and denunciations. It’s a means to stir the conscience and lead the viewer to reflect, to react. I also believe that small things can improve the world.
Do you need to apply for permissions when using characters from popular fiction in your artwork?I captured these subjects in a totally different and new way. Mines are visions, contemporary artwork.
Do you thing all artists are activists by default? What are the causes that you intend to take on at some point or another?Not all artists are activists, but anyone can be once they decide to undertake major social battles. There are many social issues I deal with, but I will always be at the forefront for women. I love women.
Do you think it's more important for men to stand up for women or for women to stand up for themselves?As I always say, men should be the first to rebel against the cowards who use violence against women. Men have to fight these cowards. We must be the ones to eliminate this terrible culture of machismo. If we do not erase this, we will never reach true equality between the sexes, and then it will be difficult to eradicate violence.
Could you tell us a little bit more about yourself and the philosophy that you live and work by?I went to business school, then I studied fashion design and worked for many years as a designer in the fashion world in Milan, Paris and Hong Kong. Then, one day, I decided to change course and dedicate myself to art. I try to enjoy every moment of my life. A few years ago, I had a cancer that had serious consequences. It’s as if I’ve died and I’ve been reborn. That event rewrote my life completely.