Steve McQueen. How Does One Believe in the Future?

Analyzing Steve McQueen's oeuvre, in particular some of his short films, one can see a double orientation: on one hand, it is clear that the artist is engaged on the side of minorities (especially black, but not only), and on the struggle for their freedom. On the other hand, his reflections on any form of dependency, co-dependency, and interpersonal violence, make the viewer wonder whether there is any way out from a permanent dark side of human nature. McQueen has been taken into consideration for his outstanding role in the artworld, where he has proven to be firmly influential; furthermore, his success represents an example of the response recently reached by black culture in the visual arts. This topic has to do with the Black Lives Matter movement, and all the literature on the Black liberation (Angela Davis and Bell Hooks among others); and yet, McQueen appears to bring the racial topic beyond itself, toward a general description of the human soul. The author knows that many readers can disagree with such a non-racial centered opinion, wich gives relevance to a Hobbes-Harendt perspective. Therefore, the essay is conceived as a contribution to an intense international debate not only on McQueens' possible interpretations (the artist himself, during our conversations, ony partially agreed) but also on the black contributions to the visual arts.