Artist Oliver Walker _320
TRADE, democracy and globalisation are all under the microscope as part of a long-term art project currently docked in Liverpool.
Mr Democracy is an ambitious project by Berlin-based artist Oliver Walker, who decided to explore the notion of human rights and the written constitution – the UK is one of only three countries in the world without one.
“The UK doesn’t have a written constitution, but we do enjoy a thriving trade with China, as well as a notion of exporting democracy,” Oliver explained.
“Seeing as you can get anything and everything made in China, I want to get a constitution drawn up over there.”
The first half of the exhibition featured a live ship tracking system, which displayed the position of the ship carrying the container carrying the New Constitution.
This has now been replaced by 1,000 speaking dolls, with voice chips that play a recording of the constitution as spoken by Chinese citizens – which are housed in a shipping container outside the gallery and are for sale for the duration of the exhibition, on until November 30 at the Royal Standard gallery on Vauxhall Road.
The dolls were shipped over from China to Felixstowe and then driven up to Liverpool in time for the Biennial, of which the exhibition is part of the Independents strand.
Oliver, who has been working on the project for a year, said: “I wanted to develop a constitution, or ‘basic law’ for the UK, in China, a country finding a new role for itself in the world.
“I have been wanting to produce a project in China for a few years now, and last year I had this idea.
“At first, I wanted to deal more directly with the changes happening in and around China itself.
“But I thought there was something in looking back at where I come from, and exploring it this way.”
The exhibition is taking place alongside the Royal Standard’s inagural exhibition at its new home, Navigator – featuring the work of seven artists set against Liverpool's rapidly changing urban and cultural landscape.
For more information on Oliver’s project, including a blog documenting its progress, visit www.mrdemocracy.org. The Royal Standard is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 6pm.
