Facades of democracy (2016)

Making a political statement in the current global climate may seem like career suicide for an artist, but Virtosu attempts to boldly take his work into this explosive realm nonetheless. The powerful and evocative piece titled “Facades of Democracy” is meant to shed light on a system of governance that has long been viewed as the answer for the masses, but is yet to overcome its own obstacles in order to make a real difference.

A majority of the world governments are now operating under the democratic system, and although this seems like an obvious alternative to communist ideals, this structure is far from attaining perfection. This sentiment is aptly displayed in Virtosu’s work as we see a cocoon-like creature attempting to burst out of its shell and attain a new form. We see fragments of this improved form seeping out of the shell, but the struggle between its former and future self is evident. The artist is attempting to display the conflict within the democratic system as various political parties battle it out amongst themselves in order to gain control over the overall process. It is possible to remain closed off and outdated even within a seemingly open-minded system such as a democracy, and this tension between liberals and conservatives is on display in Virtosu’s timely piece.

The chaos created by the central entity of this piece seems to create ripples in the outer environment through a series of bold and frenzied brushstrokes embalmed in a radiant blue. While the people manage to retain power within a democracy, the artist is shedding light on the fact that the system will remain a façade if the conflict within the flagbearers of the system is not resolved.