Trump in Groningen
Trump in Groningen
How Andres Serrano brought Trump to our city.
Since Biden's election and Trump's defeat in 2020, which triggered the storm on Capitol Hill, everyone has been wondering about the upcoming US election in November of 2024. With the election only a few months away, Forum is holding an exhibition by the American artist Andres Serrano called: “America & Trump”.
The creator depicts how Trump slowly penetrated into America’s consciousness; but perhaps also on the world’s stage.
After seeing the posters (and their decorations) all around the city, we wanted to know what all the buzz was about and decided to visit the exhibition ourselves.
When we first entered the exhibition, we were greeted by a dark room and a video of three girls wearing dresses with the US flag, dancing, and singing a song celebrating Trump. These three girls are part of a group called: “USA Freedom Kids”, a girl group hired for a Donald Trump rally in Pensacola, Florida in January 2016, during his presidential campaign.
Mannequins dressed up as guards of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino placed all around the room, spread the feeling of constantly being under surveillance.
Serrano’s exhibition continued with a series of photographs of American citizens: he shot 100 photos to prove his statement that within this complex country, a claim such as “us” versus “them” doesn’t work. And yet - most Americans associate themselves with the idea of America - the American dream, freedom, the right to follow what makes you happy. All these different people are under the wing of the eagle.
Donald Trump’s merchandise room followed. All the shirts, teddy bears, board games, and Trump’s Taj Mahal casino dream were displayed in a dimly lit room with upbeat pop music playing.
“Trump truly has some tacky merchandise,” Minerva Design student Patrick Hebbel said.
When seeing things like Trump Monopoly, Trump puppets or Trump comics, his campaign train of calling everything Trump becomes very clear. All of this serves as a poignant reminder that the ex-president’s presence in American society started a long time before he became the president of America - Home Alone 2 is one funny proof.
The exhibition concludes with a film about the storming of the Capitol in 2021. People chanting: “We want Trump” and violently removing barriers and then the killing of Ashli Babbit, who was shot by police during the storm on the capitol left a feeling of unease.
After witnessing all the controversy of Trump's campaigns, the complex workings of American society, and Trump’s thousands of merchandise products, we finally arrived at the result: people united under his simple populist leadership.
“Maybe hate is what we need if we are gonna get something done” - Donald J. Trump
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