The evolution of language tracks the evolution of society in general. To be in control of language is to be in control of reality. Thus, language is an important political battlefield. In spoken language, «slang» is one of the most progressive areas of language evolution. Within the arts, the experimental contemporary art and music are the loci of most profound change.

In my home country of Denmark, a conservative minister of cultural affairs has introduced a national Canon. It is a list of works that are quintessentially Danish, expressing the essence of our nation's struggle and its relations with other cultures. The Canon is used by many as a tool for guiding the development of contemporary art. The problem artists have with the Canon is that it defines ultimate quality as a thing of the past. This is problematic with respect to our work, which is about defining the present.

Still, the worst aspect of the Canon is its nationalistic flavour. It was established for politicians to have a concrete reference to national identity. For ideological reasons they want to point to a stable core of Danish identity, different from the rest of the world. They claim it's needed to strengthen us when facing foreign cultures, based on the notion that by knowing yourself you're better able to meet other cultures without being overwhelmed or smothered.

This argument reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a human being immersed in society. Identity is not inherited along with citizenship or entry in the Personal Registry. Ethnicity, essence and origins obviously influence one's identity, but only to the extent that society has imposed limits on acceptability. Identity is a living, dynamic quantity created in the world of realities, as a result of meeting other people. It is not what we are. It is what we are constantly becoming. This process is initiated and maintained by interactions with others.

When nationalist conservative politicians are busy shoehorning our identity and pointing out our  characteristic features, they do so because they wish to hold on to a notion of the past as a time of privilege. They are afraid of who they and their fellow citizens may become. The sad thing is that this fear not only stifles communication with foreigners, but also prevents a full disclosure of who we are and what we are becoming. The result is a steady-state between feelings of inferiority and delusions of grandeur.

Both of these mutually dependent conditions result in failure of communication. By preventing cross-cultural dialogue, you also cause stagnation of society. Fortunately, there are always some people unafraid of the world, of the future or of themselves. And there are also those who may be afraid, but who are unable to act any differently: gays, lesbians, transsexuals and other minorities who do not fit the mainstream image of a good citizen. They all develop their culture through their actions, with imaginative slang, with new music and visual art. They realize that their identity develops through communication with other people and other cultures. And they know that their culture will grow stronger every time it embraces another aspect of the world around it.

But what happens if the societal pressure on the evolution of language and art grows too strong? What happens if our behaviour becomes so strongly channelised that the least fearful – and those unable to act differently – give up and move to a place where they can become what they are, together with like-minded people in a more tolerant environment?

- Then you become a province.