ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dread Scott - Visual artist
Dread Scott makes revolutionary art to propel history forward.

Why you should listen

Dread Scott's work is exhibited across the US and internationally. In 1989, his art became the center of national controversy over its transgressive use of the American flag, while he was a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. President G.H.W. Bush called his art "disgraceful," and the entire US Senate denounced and outlawed this work. Scott became part of a landmark Supreme Court case when he and others defied the new law by burning flags on the steps of the US Capitol. His studio is now based in Brooklyn. 

Scott's work has been included in exhibitions at New York's MoMA PS1, the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis and Gallery MOMO in Cape Town, South Africa. His performance work has been presented at BAM in Brooklyn and on the streets of Harlem, NY. His work is in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Brooklyn Museum, and it has been featured on the cover of Artforum magazine and the front page of NYTimes.com. Scott is a recipient of a 2018 United States Artists Fellowship and grants from the Creative Capital Foundation and the Open Society Institute. He works in a range of media, from performance and photography to screen-printing and video.   

Scott plays with fire -- metaphorically and sometimes literally -- as when he burned $171 on Wall Street and encouraged those with money to add theirs to the pyre. His work asks viewers to look soberly at America's past and our present. Writing about a recent banner project, Angelica Rogers wrote in the New York Times: "...it was difficult to look away from the flag's blocky, capitalized type. 'A Man Was Lynched by Police Yesterday.' It shouted the words so matter-of-factly that I felt myself physically flinch."

Scott is currently working on Slave Rebellion Reenactment, a community engaged performance that will reenact the largest rebellion of enslaved people in American History.

More profile about the speaker
Dread Scott | Speaker | TED.com
TED2018

Dread Scott: How art can shape America's conversation about freedom

دیرد سكۆت: هونه‌ر چۆن ده‌توانێت ببێته‌ هۆی دروستبوونی گفتوگۆی ئه‌مه‌ریكا سه‌باره‌ت به‌ ئازادی

Filmed:
1,368,594 views

لێره‌دا هونه‌رمه‌ند ( درید سكوت ) به‌شێوه‌یه‌كی كورت و پوخت باسی یه‌كێك له‌ كاره‌ هونه‌ریه‌ مۆڕاڵییەکانی ده‌كات كه‌ بووه‌ هۆی سه‌رنجراكێشانی گه‌لان بۆ نه‌شیاو به‌كارهێنانی ئاڵای ئه‌مه‌ریكا، كه‌ بووه‌ دۆسییه‌یه‌كی مێژووی له‌ دادگای باڵای ئه‌مه‌ریكا.
- Visual artist
Dread Scott makes revolutionary art to propel history forward. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

،من کاری ھونەری بینراو دەکەم
00:12
I am a visual artist,
0
858
1475
00:14
and I make revolutionary art
to propel history forward.
1
2357
3381
شۆرشێکی ھونەری بەرپادەکەم
.بۆ بەرەوپێشبردنی مێژوو
00:18
I'm going to come right out
and tell you something:
2
6369
2411
:ئێستا دەمەوێت شتێکتان پێبڵێم
00:20
I don't accept the economic foundation,
3
8804
1865
قبوڵی ڕێخراوی ئابوری و
00:22
the social relations
4
10693
1161
پەیوەندی کۆمەڵایەتیەکان و
00:23
or the governing ideas of America.
5
11878
1700
یان ئەو بیرۆکانەی ئەمریکا
بەڕێوە دەبات، ناکەم.
ھونەرەکەی من
بۆگۆرانێکی گه‌وهه‌رییه‌
00:26
My art contributes to fundamental change
6
14523
1934
00:28
by encouraging an audience to address
big questions from that perspective.
7
16481
3879
له‌ڕێگه‌ی هاندانی جه‌ماوه‌ره‌وه‌
.به‌ پرسیاركردن لەوبارەیەوە
،گۆڕینی کۆمەڵگە ئاسته‌مە
.بەڵام بیرۆكه‌كان زۆر گرنگه‌
00:32
Social change is hard,
but ideas matter tremendously.
8
20892
3286
کاتێک دەڵێم ھونەرمەندم
".خەڵکی ده‌ڵێن، "ئۆ، وێنەکێشە
00:37
When I say I'm an artist,
most people think, "Oh, he's a painter."
9
25594
3120
00:40
Behind me, you can see
some of the kind of work I do.
10
28738
2533
.ده‌توانن كاره‌كانم ببینن له‌ پشتمه‌وه‌یه‌
"خەیاڵکردنی جیھان بەبێ ئەمەریکا"
،تابلۆیەکە
00:43
"Imagine a World
Without America" is a painting,
11
31295
2337
،بەڵام لەچوارچێوه‌ی میدیاکاردەکەم
00:45
but I work in a range of media,
12
33656
1493
00:47
including photography,
video and performance art.
13
35173
3000
،كه‌ پێکھاتوە لە وێنەگرتن
.و ڤیدیۆ و ئه‌كته‌ری
00:53
A current project,
"Slave Rebellion Reenactment,"
14
41536
2818
،پرۆژەکەی ئێستام
"،دووباره‌ یاخیبوونەوەی كۆیلایه‌تی"
00:56
is going to be reenacted
on the outskirts of New Orleans
15
44378
2976
دوباره‌ دەیکەینەوە بە شانۆ بۆ
ناوچه‌كانی نیو و لینز
00:59
this November.
16
47378
1159
.مانگی ١١ی ئه‌م ساڵ
01:02
In 1989, I had an artwork that became
the center of controversy
17
50500
3879
لە١٩٨٩، کارێکی ھونەرم كرد
کە بووە هۆی ناڕەزایی
01:06
over its transgressive use
of the American flag.
18
54403
2648
له‌ بەکارھێنانی ئاڵای ئەمەریکا
.له‌شێوه‌ی شه‌ره‌نگێز
چ ڕێگەیه‌ك باشه‌ بۆنیشاندانی"
"ئاڵای ئه‌مه‌ریكا؟
01:09
"What is the Proper Way
to Display a US Flag?"
19
57620
2634
01:12
is a conceptual work that encouraged
audience participation.
20
60278
3074
کارێکی چەمکدارە ھانی بینەران دەدات
.بەژداری بکەن
01:16
It consisted of a photo montage
that had text that read,
21
64003
2697
پێکھاتبوو لە وێنەیەکی مۆنتاژ
،کە له‌ژێری نوسراوه
01:18
"What is the Proper Way
to Display a US Flag?"
22
66724
2495
گونجاوترین ڕێگە چییە"
"بۆ نیشاندانی ئاڵای ئەمەریکا؟
له‌ژێرەوەی کتێب هەبوو
،دەتوانرا وه‌ڵامی تێدا بنوسرێت
01:21
Below that were books that people
could write responses to that question in,
23
69243
3598
01:24
and below that was a flag
that people had the option of standing on.
24
72865
3197
لەژیر ئەوەشوەو ئاڵایەک ھەبووکە خەڵک
.بەخواستی خۆی لە سەری دەوەستا
01:28
The photo montage consisted
of images of South Korean students
25
76086
3060
وێنە مۆنتاژکراوەکە پێکھاتبوو
لە قوتابییه‌كانی کۆریای باشور
01:31
burning American flags,
26
79170
1447
،كه‌ ئاڵای ئەمەریکا دەسوتێنن
،دروشمێکیان ھەڵگرتوه‌
"،بگه‌رێوه‌ بۆ خاكی خۆت، دایک قەحبە "
01:32
holding signs that said,
"Yankee go home. Son of a bitch,"
27
80641
2824
01:35
and below that were flag-draped coffins
coming back from Vietnam.
28
83489
3239
و لەژێره‌وه‌ش ئاڵاكان پێچراون و داپۆشراو
.کە لە ڤێتنام دەگەرانەوە
01:39
People wrote long and short answers.
29
87461
2068
.خەڵکی وەڵامی کورت و درێژیان نوسیبوو
01:41
Thousands of people engaged with the work
in a lot of different languages.
30
89553
3542
ھەزاران خەڵک به‌ژداریان له‌ کارەکە كرد
.بە زمانی جۆراوجۆر و جیاواز
01:45
Some of the people said,
31
93420
1295
،یه‌كێك گوتبووی
01:47
"I'm a German girl.
32
95414
1254
.من کچێکی ئه‌ڵمانیم"
01:48
If we Germans would admire
our flag as you all do,
33
96692
3022
گه‌ر ئێمه‌ی ئه‌ڵملنی ئاشنای
،ئاڵاكه‌مان بین وه‌ك ئێوه
01:51
we would be called Nazis again.
34
99738
1735
.ئه‌وا سه‌ر له‌نوێ پێیان ئه‌وتین نازی
01:53
I think you do have too much
trouble about this flag."
35
101497
2606
پێموایە بەھۆی ئەم ئاڵایەوە
".ڕوبه‌روی کێشەی زۆر ده‌بن
پێموایە ھونەرمه‌ند پێویستە "
،بگەرێتەوە سه‌ر كلتوره‌كه‌ی
01:57
"I think that the artist
should be returned to his heritage,
36
105930
2832
02:00
i.e., the jungles of Africa,
37
108786
1645
،مه‌به‌ستم جەنگەڵەکانی ئەفریقا
02:02
and then he can shovel manure
in his artistic way."
38
110455
2626
دوای ئه‌مه‌ش خۆڵ و خاك
".به‌شێوه‌ی هونه‌ری ده‌گۆرێت
ئه‌م ئاڵایه‌ی له‌سه‌ری وه‌ستاوم موڵکی"
:سیسته‌مێکی چەوسێنەرە
02:06
"This flag I'm standing on stands for
everything oppressive in this system:
39
114981
3601
سه‌ربڕینی ھندیەکان و ھەموو ئەو خه‌ڵكه‌
،چه‌وساوانه‌ی لە جیھاندا هەن
02:10
the murder of the Indians
and all the oppressed around the world,
40
118606
3068
02:13
including my brother
who was shot by a pig,
41
121698
2004
یەکێک لەوانەش براکەم
،پۆلیسێكی بەراز كوشتی
شەقی لەجەستەی دا
".تا دڵنیا بێتەوە برا ڕەشپێستەکەم مردوە"
02:15
who kicked over his body
to 'make sure the nigger was dead.'
42
123726
3036
.پۆلیسه‌كه‌ ئاڵاكه‌ی به‌شانه‌وه‌ بوو
02:19
That pig was wearing the flag.
43
127776
1603
02:21
Thank you, Dread Scott,
for this opportunity."
44
129403
2342
،سوپاس، دیرید سکۆت
".بۆ ئەم دەرفەتە
وه‌ك سه‌ربازێكی كۆن"
،بەرگری لە ئاڵا
02:24
"As a veteran defending the flag,
45
132259
1601
02:25
I personally would never
defend your stupid ass!
46
133884
2269
!هه‌رگیز له‌سه‌رت ناكه‌مه‌وە
ئەی حیز."
"!شایه‌نی ئه‌وه‌ی بكوژرێیت
تیمی سیڵی دەریای ئەمەریکی
02:28
You should be shot!" -- US Navy Seal Team.
47
136177
2518
02:32
As you can see, people had
very strong reactions about the flag then,
48
140463
3462
وەک دەبینرێت، خەڵکی کاردانەوەیەکی
،بەھێزیان ھەیە دەربارەی ئەو ئاڵایە
02:35
as they do now.
49
143949
1231
.هه‌روه‌ك ئێستە
خۆپشاندان هه‌بوو به‌بیانوی هاتنی سه‌رباز
.بۆبه‌رده‌م په‌یمانگای هونه‌ری له‌ شیكاگۆ
02:37
There were demonstrations of veterans
in front of the Art Institute of Chicago.
50
145606
3784
،هه‌ندێ دروشمیان ده‌گوته‌وه‌
02:41
They chanted things like,
51
149414
1249
02:42
"The flag and the artist,
hang them both high,"
52
150687
2248
"،ئاڵا و ھونەر ھەردوک له‌سێداره‌ بده‌ن"
02:44
evoking images of lynching.
53
152959
1524
.بەهێنانی وێنە سێداره‌
02:46
I received numerous death threats,
54
154507
1638
زۆرهه‌ره‌شه‌ی كوشتنم بۆ ده‌هات،
بۆمبێکی هەرەشەم بۆ هات
بۆ قوتابخانەکەم.
02:48
and bomb threats
were phoned in to my school.
55
156169
2130
02:50
It was a very dangerous situation.
56
158323
1680
.بارودۆخێکی زور مەترسیدار بوو
02:52
Later, President Bush called
the work "disgraceful,"
57
160401
2533
دواتر، سەرۆک بۆش ناوی ئەم کارەی نا
"،شەرمەزاری"
02:54
which I viewed as a tremendous honor,
58
162958
1795
،به‌ڵام من وەک شەرەفێکی گەورە دەیبینم
02:56
and Congress outlawed the work.
59
164777
1525
.و کۆنگرس ئەو کارەی قەدەغەكرد
02:58
(Laughter)
60
166326
1105
(پێکەنین)
من بوومە بەشێک لە دۆسیه‌ له‌ دادگای باڵا
،بووم به‌ پێشێلكاری یاسا
02:59
I became part of a Supreme Court case
when I and others defied that law,
61
167455
4017
بەسوتانی ئاڵاکان
.به‌هۆی لۆمه‌ كردنی كۆنگرس
03:03
by burning flags
on the steps of the Capitol.
62
171496
2185
03:06
That action and the subsequent
legal and political battle
63
174485
3120
ئه‌م ڕوداوە
سیاسیە یەکە دوا یەکەکان و شەڕی دۆسیه‌
03:09
led to a landmark First Amendment decision
that prevented the government
64
177629
3678
بوە ھۆی بڕیارێكی مێژوویی له‌ به‌ندی یەکەم
له‌ ده‌ستور بۆ رێگه‌ كرتن له‌ دادگا
03:13
from demanding
patriotism be mandatory.
65
181331
2378
.و به‌ نیشتمان په‌روه‌ری ناچاری
03:16
But let me back up a bit.
66
184169
1220
.با کەمێک بگەڕێینەوە
03:17
These people literally wanted me dead.
67
185413
2260
.له‌ڕاستیدا خه‌ڵكانێك ویستیان بمكوژن
03:20
What I would do at this moment
would make a difference.
68
188633
2624
لەم کاتەدا چی بکەم،
چی لە باسەکە دەگۆڕێت.
03:23
This is me at the exact same moment,
69
191281
2047
،ئەوە منم كە لە گونجاوترین کاتدا
03:25
eight stories above that crowd.
70
193352
1781
.ھەشت قات لەسەرەوەی ئەو ژاوەژاوە
03:28
It was supposed to be for a photo shoot
71
196368
1881
وا دانرابوو كه‌ ئه‌مه‌
بۆ وێنەگرتنێك بێت
03:30
that was going to take place on the steps
where the veterans were at that time.
72
198273
3795
كه‌ باس له‌سه‌ر وه‌ستانی پۆل به‌پۆلی
.سه‌ربازه‌كان بكات له‌م كاته‌دا
،وه‌ستانی من له‌وێ سەلامەت نابێت بۆم
.له‌مه‌ش زیاتر ده‌وترا
03:34
It wouldn't have been safe
for me to be there, to say the least.
73
202092
3026
بەڵام ئه‌وكاته‌ بخه‌ به‌رچاوت
،كه‌ زۆر گرینگبوو
03:37
But it was really important
to do that shoot,
74
205142
2141
،لەبەرئەوەی ئەگەر کەسێک بیەوێت من بکوژێت
لەم کاتەدا
03:39
because while some wanted to kill me,
it was also a situation
75
207307
2889
بۆئەوانەی کە ئاڵای ئه‌مەریکا دەبینن وەک
سونبولێك بۆ سته‌مكار
03:42
where those who viewed the American flag
as standing for everything oppressive
76
210220
3690
لەم ڕژێمه‌
03:45
in this system
77
213934
1156
ھەستیانكرد كه‌ دەنگیان ھەیە
03:47
felt that they had a voice,
78
215114
1295
.و دەنگەکە پێویستە گه‌وره‌ بكرێت
03:48
and that voice needed to be amplified.
79
216433
1967
03:50
The point is this:
80
218837
1224
:په‌نده‌كه‌ ئه‌وه‌یه‌
03:52
changing anything --
81
220085
1370
-- گۆرینی ھەرشتێک
03:53
whether it's conventional ideas
about US national symbols,
82
221479
4002
جا چ بیرۆکەیەکی دووباره‌ بێت دەربارەی
،سیمبولی نێودەوڵەتی ئەمەریکا
03:57
traditional thinking challenged
by scientific breakthroughs
83
225505
2922
یان به‌رهه‌ڵستی كرانه‌وه‌ی زانستی
بۆ بیركردنه‌وه‌ی دووباره‌
04:00
or ousting an authoritarian president --
84
228451
2428
-- یان لابردنی سه‌رۆكی كه‌له‌ ڕه‌ق
04:02
requires a lot of things.
85
230903
1327
.زۆر شتی پێویستە
04:04
It requires courage,
86
232254
1612
،پێویستی بە ھاندانە
04:05
luck
87
233890
1155
بەخت
04:07
and also vision and boldness of action.
88
235069
2644
.و ھەروەھا چاونه‌ترسی له‌ کارەکە
04:10
But on luck --
89
238971
1170
-- بەڵام لەسەر بەخت
04:12
I have to say, the photo shoot we did
might not have worked out so well.
90
240165
3473
دەمەوێت بڵێم، ئەو وێنانەی گرتمان
.ڕەنگە کاری خۆی نەکردبێت بەباشی
04:15
We laughed after we were out of the area.
91
243662
2430
.کە ناوچه‌كه‌مان جێهێشت پێکەنین
04:18
But the thing is, it was worth the risk
92
246116
1868
،بەڵام سەرکێشەکی بەنرخ بوو
بەھۆی ئه‌و به‌ربه‌ستانه‌ی
.كه‌ خرانه‌ پێشمان
04:20
because of the stakes that were involved.
93
248008
2007
ئا لەم بارودۆخە بەخت یاوه‌رمانبوو
،بۆشتێكی نایاب
04:22
And in this case, the luck
led to a wonderful,
94
250039
2153
04:24
profound and powerful situation
95
252216
1511
حاڵه‌تێكی قوڵ و هێزێكی نایاب
04:25
that was also humorous.
96
253751
1466
ئه‌مه‌ پێكه‌نیناوی بوو
04:27
Thank you.
97
255241
1164
.سوپاس بۆ ئێوه‌
04:28
(Applause)
98
256429
2376
(چەپڵەڕێزان)
Translated by aweza Abubakir

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dread Scott - Visual artist
Dread Scott makes revolutionary art to propel history forward.

Why you should listen

Dread Scott's work is exhibited across the US and internationally. In 1989, his art became the center of national controversy over its transgressive use of the American flag, while he was a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. President G.H.W. Bush called his art "disgraceful," and the entire US Senate denounced and outlawed this work. Scott became part of a landmark Supreme Court case when he and others defied the new law by burning flags on the steps of the US Capitol. His studio is now based in Brooklyn. 

Scott's work has been included in exhibitions at New York's MoMA PS1, the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis and Gallery MOMO in Cape Town, South Africa. His performance work has been presented at BAM in Brooklyn and on the streets of Harlem, NY. His work is in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Brooklyn Museum, and it has been featured on the cover of Artforum magazine and the front page of NYTimes.com. Scott is a recipient of a 2018 United States Artists Fellowship and grants from the Creative Capital Foundation and the Open Society Institute. He works in a range of media, from performance and photography to screen-printing and video.   

Scott plays with fire -- metaphorically and sometimes literally -- as when he burned $171 on Wall Street and encouraged those with money to add theirs to the pyre. His work asks viewers to look soberly at America's past and our present. Writing about a recent banner project, Angelica Rogers wrote in the New York Times: "...it was difficult to look away from the flag's blocky, capitalized type. 'A Man Was Lynched by Police Yesterday.' It shouted the words so matter-of-factly that I felt myself physically flinch."

Scott is currently working on Slave Rebellion Reenactment, a community engaged performance that will reenact the largest rebellion of enslaved people in American History.

More profile about the speaker
Dread Scott | Speaker | TED.com