Politics of Idiocracy

What happens when history is recorded not in textbooks but in memes? Politics of Idiocracy tries to transform iconic political bloopers into blooper realism* paintings, questioning how media, digital culture, the absurdity of politics, and collective memory shape today’s leadership.

Politics of Idiocracy archives journalistic photographs of different politicians and public figures around the world that are ruled as idiotic moments by the consensus of the internet. The archive investigates meme culture. It explores how a photograph and the subjectivity of a person transform into a meme, and how the internet decides which image and which political figure is deemed “memeable”. The long-term project captures these idiotic moments. The project explores how the end-users utilize and normalize comedy and ridicule as coping mechanisms in the face of powerlessness while confronting the results of the decisions made for them by their representatives.

These memes have one thing in common: an idiotic moment captured by a camera. The memes reflect a moment when these people (constantly monitored by the press) finally break the surface and reveal the idiot within. Politics of Idiocracy seeks to mirror our human fallibility and fragility, especially for people in positions of power.

*Blooper realism: Crafted images that honor moments of public failure, awkwardness, or absurdity. Where traditional realism was often reserved for depicting majesty, heroism, or historical triumph, Blooper Realism elevates the accidental, the memeable, and the cringeworthy. Why should only glory be treated with reverence? In a world where power is often constructed through image, these works freeze the instant when that image slips, revealing something deeply human.

Elements of the project:

The project consists of

A growing collection of 120 x 120 cm paintings with acrylic and oil paint on wooden panels.
An ongoing conversation with audiences, visitors of the exhibition(s), and experts discussing different topics related to the project. This will manifest as a podcast and a publication, and will be announced here.
An archive of journalistic photographs that went viral after a blooper moment in the careers of politicians and world leaders. The archive entries provide background information on each meme, and how they went viral. The archive acts as the backbone of the project. The archive can be found here @politicsofidiocracy

The idiot artist and the finishing touch:

Each painting is finalized with a finishing last element. These elements are added by myself to complete the idiotic scene. The materials are sourced either from my body or my environment. By this addition, I am bound to the image and I claim my place in the ideocracy which I try to depict. My idiocracy merged with my subject.

Independent artist representation:

Since 2015, I have been working with themes of representation and rethinking the way we make collective decisions. Part of this focus on representation for me has been to challenge the idea of representation for the visual artists. Through independent representation and working with artist-run spaces, I am trying to push the limits of the art scene and the market apparatus. That is why this project has remained completely independent.

To achieve this goal, I successfully carried out a crowdfunding campaign on Voordekunst.nl platform. The campaign page can be visited here.

Exhibition at Het Wilde Weten, May & June 2025

The exhibition was hosted at Het Wilde Weten, an artist-run space known for fostering critical and experimental practices, this six-week residency (1-30 May) and exhibition (30 May – 15 June).

For more information about this exhibition and its events, please see the press release below:

Press Release - EN
Press Release - NL

Article and interview at versbeton.nl by Emma Ruiter

Dates and events:

May 1 – May 29: Open studio Residency & public discussions

The project space at Het Wilde Weten will serve as a working studio, where Pendar will be present daily, completing the final touches on the paintings. Visitors are welcome to observe the process and engage in informal discussions.

Additionally, four public discussion events will be held every Friday (May 2, 9, 16, and 23) from 18:00 to 20:30, featuring guest speakers and interactive discussions on themes such as:

Friday, May 2: Digital culture and the role of memes in shaping political narratives
Friday, May 9: Journalism, representation, and the tension between truth and satire
Friday, May 16: The future of democracy in an era of spectacle and viral media
Friday, May 23: Human vulnerability, power, and the absurdity of leadership

These events are free to attend with (optional) registration via this Google form

May 30 – June 15: Exhibition & Special Events

Opening Night | Friday May 30 | 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM

The exhibition officially opens with a presentation of 10 large-scale paintings (120x120 cm), each based on journalistic images turned into viral political memes. The exhibition also presents audio recordings of the already recorded podcast sessions with experts and public discussion sessions.

Exhibition Hours:

Saturday, May 31st – Sunday, June 15 – Open daily from 16:00 – 20:00
The exhibition visit hours for 6 and 13 June are from 16:00 to 17:30
Visits outside these hours are available by appointment via this Google form
It is possible to purchase the paintings with a fixed price during this period

Media & Politics Event | Friday 6 June | 18:00 – 20:30

A discussion event about the impact of the two industries in the real world and on the lives of the public. Register via this Google form.

Exclusive 4-Course Dinner & public auction | Friday, June 13 | 18:00 – 22:00

On Friday, June 13, an auction event will offer collectors a unique opportunity to acquire Nabipour’s original paintings. The evening starts with a 4-course dinner, where the artist will provide elaborate insights into each artwork’s background, themes, and historical references. The dinner will be prepared and presented by Atelier Consommé. The evening will then continue into a public auction moment where the public can join and bid on the remaining unpurchased paintings with a lower starting price

Atelier Consommé is a collective of culinary creatives who spark ideas and tackle social issues through themed dinners, collaborations, and commissioned projects

For the dinner, the guests must register and purchase a ticket in advance through this Google form. Registration for the public auction is possible also through the same form.