Hands Off My Cuntry

The exhibition was called ’Hands Off My Cuntry’—no irony, no softening, just fury. A group of artists (Nikki Pecasso, Mike Cockrill, Morgan Jesse Lappin, Courtney Frances Fallon, Savannah Spirit, Alexandra Rubinstein, Annique Delphine) created it when Trump took office, in response to every law they knew was going to disappear. The show ran in New York through January 22, and they sent him an open letter saying what had to be said: we’re afraid, and you’re going to destroy things that matter to us.

There’s a moment when your private anger becomes visible work. Not because you think it’ll change anything, but because silence stops being possible. These artists weren’t trying to convince anyone. They were refusing—refusing to disappear, to be careful, to wait it out. The work was just the shape of that refusal.

What does it mean to insist on something true when everything’s built on lies? To make sure it’s seen. To say no when saying nothing would be easier. I keep thinking about that.