At its core, great art exists purely for its own sake

Nick Cave has written a passionate response to Wim Wenders’ comments on politics in art at the Berlin Film Festival.

The veteran arthouse director Wenders, known for films including Paris, Texas, Wings Of Desire and Perfect Days, was the Jury President at the Berlin International Film Festival this month and was asked for his comments on whether films can trigger political change.

Wenders said that he believes filmmakers “have to stay out of politics because if we make movies that are dedicatedly political, we enter the field of politics. But we are the counterweight of politics, we are the opposite of politics. We have to do the work of people, not the work of politicians.”

Now, Cave has responded to these remarks in an answer to a fan question on his Red Hand Files blog. Explaining that he has known Wenders for over 40 years, Cave said his comments ”moved me deeply”.

“It reaffirmed my understanding of him as a passionately principled, thoughtful, and courageous man – a person who cares profoundly about film and the state of the creative world,” Cave continued. “His words were a caring, gentle, and protective gesture, directed not only at the artistic community but at humanity itself, and despite the predictable pile-on, I suspect that many artists, maybe most, will genuinely appreciate his words.”

He went on to speculate that Wenders might have been “trying to save the Berlinale from succumbing to the fate of those festivals that have become little more than a narrowing of the cultural imagination”, criticising many modern events for having become subject to “a single monolithic ideology – one voice, one cause, one dissent”.

Cave continued: “I do not imagine for a moment that Wim thinks art should ignore the great and persistent injustices of the world. He seems to believe, as I do, that using art to raise awareness of these injustices can be extremely effective, but perhaps he also believes that art is more than the sum of its utility; it is more than a tool or a weapon.”

“Maybe he believes, as I do, that at its core, great art exists purely for its own sake – and that at its most transformative it reveals itself subtly, ambiguously, and curiously; that it is something we approach with awe and wonder, that humbles us whilst also enlarging our hearts, that works its way into our souls and spirits, guiding us towards what is good, beautiful, and true. Art captivates us and imparts a sense of what it means to be human, broadening our understanding of the world and our own place within it – that we have the right to love, laugh, cry, and be thrilled by the world. This is art’s largesse – to remind us that life is worth living.”

Cave has often spoken about the intersection of politics and art. In 2023, he told NME that he believes there is “some correlation between transgressive and bad behaviour and good art”.

“It’s no accident that the really great stuff is often made by the most problematic people,” he added. “I don’t quite understand it, but there’s certainly no metric that says that virtuousness makes good art. If you start looking around for the good people who make good art, the conversation shuts down very quickly. All the great stuff seems to be made by people who are in some way, out of order in some way or another.

“I just value art and see that the need for it is too urgent to be fucking around and taking this stuff down. That’s where my problem with the cancel culture business begins and ends. It’s not some great fight I’m having with these people. I just worry about the world and we need as much good stuff as possible.”

Cave also said last year that he is “neither on the left nor on the right” as he finds both sides “unrecognisable”, and he has also said that listening to opposing ideas makes for a healthier society and can be used as a tool to “liberate the soul of our world”.

He made a similar point in an interview with The Guardian in 2024, when he criticised woke culture for its “lack of mercy” and “lack of forgiveness”. In 2020, he got in touch with a fan to explain why he has an aversion to bringing politics into his lyrics.