TikTok Displays and West Bank funding: Elliott Roy's 'real art' at the ICA - video
- The Courtauldian
- May 27
- 1 min read
By Tien Albert
This short documentary tells the story of how Elliott Roy, a fine artist, chose to ditch his paintbrush for an iPhone at the Institute of Contemporary Art's New Contemporaries exhibition earlier this year. Rather than showing his paintings, Roy instead displayed a large screen showing TikTok videos he had produced over the last year. The ICA has presented this unusual display as a democratisation of art, recognising the free creation of videos using TikTok as a valid form of artistic expression. Yet, the ICA's choice of sponsors, and their role in funding illegal West Bank settlements reveals a lack of sincerity in the extent of this democratising sentiment.
Author's note: This documentary was written and mostly produced during Israel's short-lived ceasefire from January to March. At the time of publishing in May, the author condemns the forced displacement and 'annihilation' of the Palestinian people. (Quote from United Nations 07/05/2025)
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