Propaganda für die Wirklichkeit

There is a line in a novel by the writer Oswald Wiener that reads “Art is propaganda for reality and hence it is banned”. The quote is the starting point of the publication, which inquires into the seductive (manipulative) and revelatory power of art. What is reality? And how does art relate to it? Is reality always the opposite of dream or appearance, and what is the relationship between it and the illusion of the picture? The book investigates these issues on the basis of an extensive selection of paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations and videos by a total of 24 artists, including works by Francis Alÿs, Art & Language, Marcel Broodthaers, Rodney Graham, Thomas Ruff, Hiroshi Sugimoto and Lawrence Weiner. The works presented invite the viewer to look at them closely and question them. They play with the desire to deceive, with modes and manners of presentation; they challenge, mislead and encourage a (media) critical approach.