Art Review: State Britain by Mark Wallinger

Sara Darr reviews Mark Wallinger's political art exhibition at London’s Tate Britain.

Brian Haw Mark Wallinger: State Britain ''Although Haw's campaigning space has been severely restricted by the police, he continues to protest against issues in relation to peace and conflict.'' ''As an art student who has a passion for politics, I personally feel that Wallinger has devalued the protest as he had no intention of supporting Brian Haw's campaign against war.''

Tate Britain: Duveen Galleries
15/1/07 - 27/8/07
Admission: Free
Opening hours: Daily, 10.00–17.50 Exhibitions: 10.00–17.40 (last admission 17.00)

As you enter the Tate Britain, you are drawn to the Duveen Galleries where you come across a line of over 600 various sized political placards, posters and signs. Included are crude slogans, disfigured children, inspiring quotes and satirical cartoons of Bush and Blair. They are part of a 40-metre installation named 'State Britain' created by Mark Wallinger. He has re-produced an exact replica of Brian Haw's protest, which took place in Parliament Square, Westminster in 2001.

Brian Haw, a peace campaigner, first protested against the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq in June 2001 and has remained in Parliament Square since. However in May 2006 - in accordance with an Act that prohibited any protest without permission – police raided the majority of the campaigner's protest material and it has since remained in police custody. Although Haw's campaigning space has been severely restricted by the police, he continues to protest against issues in relation to peace and conflict.

Mark Wallinger’s primary concern as an artist has been to establish a valid critical approach to the ‘politics of representation and the representation of politics’, and he has often explored issues about the responsibilities of individuals and society. Within the State Britain exhibition Wallinger has raised questions dealing with the issues of freedom of expression and censorship.

The installation itself is viewed differently to the original protest as it has been positioned out of context, i.e in the galleries, not on the streets of Westminster. You cannot really feel the same emotions or think the same thoughts when viewing the campaign in the galleries, although I did find myself focusing more closely on each image, message, statement and quote.

Wallinger's aim was not to highlight the protest, or to give his support to Haw, but to point out the importance of the 1km x 1km exclusion zone within the Palace of Westminster. He successfully made that point clear by deliberately marking out a line on the floor of the galleries, positioning State Britain half inside, and half outside, the border.

According to the pamphlet accompanying the exhibition, the Tate emphasises that the installation is centered on the raw materials used to create it. Wallinger had to seek Haw's permission to re-produce every single part of the installation. It might be true to some extent, but for me, the focal point of the installation is the extension of the exclusion zone.

As an art student who has a passion for politics, I personally feel that Wallinger has devalued the protest as he had no intention of supporting Brian Haw's campaign against war.