On 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom will hold a referendum asking its citizens whether the UK should stay in or leave the UK. Renegotiating the terms of UK’s EU membership has long been a policy of David Cameron and his conservative government, and in 2003, he promised a referendum on the issue should the Tories be re-elected in 2015.
Artist Wolfgang Tillmans, a beneficiary of European unity (he is of Polish-Spanish descent, grew up in Germany, and now lives in London), is offering his support against those who support the exit (known, both affectionately and not, as Brexit, a combination of ‘British’ and ‘exit’) with a letter pressing the British to register to vote against secession and releasing a series of free-to-distribute posters.
“I feel that we have reached a critical moment that could prove to be a turning point for Europe as we know and enjoy it – one that might result in a cascade of problematic consequences and political fall-out,” he writes in the letter. “Firstly, the weakening of the EU is a goal being actively pursued by strongmen like Vladimir Putin and European parties on the far-right. Brexit could effectively spell the end of the EU. It’s a flawed and problematic institution, but on the whole it stands for a democratic worldview, human rights and favours cooperation over confrontation.”
We’ve selected some of our favourites, but the entire series can be downloaded here. If you’re a Brit, you can register to vote here.