“Weeding an Authoritarian Garden” by Artist: Andrea Lee. Dimensions: 14 by 10 inches. Japanese rice paper, found materials, clipart, micron pen. Year: 2025.

This work speaks directly to a single word in the Authoritarian Regime Survival Guide in the signoff after the 15 key points. “Every authoritarian, totalitarian and fascist regime in history EVENTUALLY failed, thanks to the people.” As abhorrent as it is to consider, when these regimes rise, they can take time - years and sometimes decades - to fall. In the face of this, the word eventually can be cold comfort, but it is a reality that must be faced. 

Rather than a single heroic gesture, a magical moment, or a deus ex machina, it is small, quotidian actions done consistently by many hands that will make a difference against authoritarianism. This artwork uses the metaphor of being vigilant as gardeners together in order to prevent the conditions that allow authoritarianism to grow. In fact, it may feel too late to do these simple actions, but they are still things that need to be done. 

No single person can weed the entire garden on their own, but done together, EVENTUALLY, the job will be done.