Even outside Britain, artists like Wolfgang Tillmans, who lived in the UK for a time, are joining in on the Brexit discourse. The German photographer’s Instagram has been flooded with anti-Brexit related posts for the past few weeks, and Tillmans has also shown his advocacy by creating a series of graphic posters for European Unity.
Tillmans’ latest work is a t-shirt inscribed with the words “No man is an island. No country by itself …Vote Remain on 23rd June” printed in a style similar to that of his posters, and a picture of this t-shirt has gone viral because of a snapshot of English James Bond star Daniel Craig wearing it.
It seems that celebrities and artists have been teaming up to spread awareness of the cause as widely as possible. The Daniel Craig photograph was even shared on Twitter by UK Primer Minister David Cameron, allowing the arts to permeate further into the political realm.
While today, the day of the referendum, holds particular tension and anticipation, the weeks leading up to the event have been all but quiet. Prominent figures around the world have voiced their opinions in hopes of influencing voters to take action in the decision. Celebrities like Stephen Hawking, David Beckham, and Keira Knightley expressed their ardent wishes for their country to remain part of the EU, according to Business Insider Deutschland.
In addition to celebrities, other artists have been active players in spreading awareness of the situation. Several English artists, such as Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor, Michael Craig-Martin, and Damien Hirst have been articulate about their anti-Brexit stance, some even creating visual works directly related to the topic.
Today the vote is open to British and Commonwealth citizens, and it will soon be revealed if the effort of these artists, celebrities, and other prominent figures has had a far-reaching impact on public opinion.