Resist

Using public space to communicate a message

In the ground breaking book, Reproduce & Revolt, my fellow co-editor, Josh MacPhee, makes a case for the role of artists in reclaiming public space for the purposes of educating the public about issues or agitating them to take action. He explains:We live and breathe the visual. Our culture depends the most on sight,
and privileges the eyes… As corporations have spent obscene amounts of
money on advertising and product design, they’ve learned a lot of
lessons about how people receive information and the way we all respond
to our visual environment. This is the environment an activist steps
into. In order to radically change society we’re going to need a lot of
people on our side, and we’re going to have to be able to convince them a
new and better world is possible. But we aren’t on a level playing
field. The audience we are trying to reach is already being attacked by
upwards of 2000 advertising messages a day! 
One of the reasons that the poster is my medium of choice is due to its ability to be reproduced and to exist in various locations at on time. Unlike a painting which may hang in a gallery, a poster can hang in the grungiest of places and still blend in like part of the landscape. The fact that posters are often printed on paper gives it a lower per-unit value and so posters are more likely to stay up than say, a banner. Plus they are light, relatively to transport, and can be folded, rolled, wheatpasted, given away, shipped at minimal costs, and reused for other things like shipping!Art that deals with political issues provides an opportunity for both the artists and the viewer to think critically about an issue, to ask questions, to inquire about alternatives, and to imagine a reality other than the status quo. In my artistic practice, I try to place my work in public spaces where people are doing activities such as waiting or spaces where people day dream. This includes lobbies, classrooms, waiting rooms, bus corners, bus stops and mass transit vehicles. I'm a bit bored with just doing posters so in recent years I have began branching out to other mediums, including online mediums. Recently, I've been discovering some awesome instances of artists reclaiming public space. Here are some notable examples which include some of my own work:CAPITALISM IS OVER IF YOU WANT IT, by Paz de la Calzada & Eliza Barrios (San Francisco, CA)Artist Statement: "By are using news stands located along Market and Montgomery Street as "vehicles to deliver information", we intend to send bi/weekly messages through the windows of these structures. Altering the visual landscape of the pedestrian/urban environment, the messages will be a mixture of iconography and slogans that call attention to the economy, consumerism and un-sustainability of the capitalistic culture." See more by clicking here

 ARTIST AGAINST THE GRAIN, Film by Ann Kaneko (Lima, Peru)Artists each held an oversize letter sign and stood in front of the National Palace of Justice, where laws get made. 

For every artist, the need to create and be heard is as basic as food
and shelter. But what happens when you live in a country where the state
clamps down on free thinkers, forcing artists to censure themselves? Read more by clicking here
 YOUTH BILL OF RIGHTS, Collaboration between Favianna Rodriguez & Youth 4 Change Alliance (Y4C) (Providence, RI)I recently completed a piece with Y4C depicting local youth and their demands to the city government. The final design is rolling around Providence on 35 buses. The youth demands on the banners include, "Right to Employment, Right to Health, & the Right to Education." The youth in the piece are members of Y4C.
 
  BILLBOARD ALTERNATIONS SALUTING ISRAEL'S RAID ON GAZA FLOTILLA, by the California Department of Corrections (CDC)Artist Statement reads: The CDC recognizes that our colleagues in the Israeli Defense Force
(IDF) may require additional support and financing as they expand
Israeli jurisdiction into international waters. Annual US aid to Israel
will increase to only $3.15 billion by 2013. Although our Israeli allies
are thankful for such generosity, the CDC believes that America can do
better. In order to encourage additional tax-supported financial
donations for Israel, the CDC launched the “Blank Check” billboard
campaign. The corrected billboards read, “THANKS FOR THE BLANK
CHECK, AMERICA,” featuring a US Treasury bank note for $7,000,000. The
amount is a daily average of America’s $2.70 billion aid package for
Israel in fiscal year 2010. Read more by clicking here
 

From: Favianna.com :: Art & Activism
by Favianna Rodriguez on 01/01/70 | Read More

Critical Views 5 at Red Sun Press – Call for Submissions

Red Sun Press, our local, movement print shop, has issued a call for political art in preparation for September’s Critical Views 5: A New Generation. This show will highlight emerging artists illustrating contemporary struggles for social justice, the environment, and economic & political change. Guidelines for submission after the jump! Each artist may submit up [...]

Related posts:Call for Submissions: Groundswell Seeks Crisis Folklore
Impressions for Change: 35 Years of Political Posters from Red Sun Press
In Review: Red Sun Press Retrospective, Papercut Zine Library Re-opening, and NYPD Raids Anarchist Film Fest

From: The Groundswell Blog
by James David Morgan on 16/08/10 | Read More

Frankfurter Kunstverein: Tales of Resistance and Change. Artists from Argentina

Alessandra Sanguinetti, “The Couple”, 1999Frankfurter Kunstverein
20 August – 31 October 2010

“Tales of Resistance and Change. Artists from Argentina” brings together the production of twelve contemporary Argentine artists and groups of artists that conceive their environments as a field for reflection and action. Social and political consequences of the financial crisis of the years 2001-2003 in Argentina form the backdrop of the exhibition.Read Full Article

From: e-flux shows :: rss
on 13/08/10 | Read More

Friday Film Pick: Super Amigos

With a myriad of problems facing the planet and humanity, it’s ripe time for some political super heroes to come to the rescue. Enter Super Amigos, a disparate group of politically-committed activists in Mexico who dress up in classic wrestling costumes and fight for the environment, for gay rights and more. Super Amigos the documentary never really grew the legs it needed to be seen as much as it could have when it came out in 2007, but lucky for us, Hot Docs has made it available at their free streaming online site. Here’s the Hot Docs synopsis:
Director Arturo Pérez Torres returns to his hometown to show that superheroes do exist. In Mexico City, five real-life “social wrestlers” have capitalized on the popularity of Mexico’s larger than life Lucha Libre wrestlers to fight for social justice rather than trophies. Wearing custom masks, costumes and capes like the wrestlers who inspired them, these anonymous grassroots superheroes protect their metropolis against injustice. Super Animal challenges bullfighters to leave the bulls alone and fight him instead. After a savage beating kills his boyfriend, Super Gay becomes a champion of gay rights, fighting rampant homophobia. Ecologista Universal battles environmental destruction of every kind, all on foot. Super Barrio is the defender of poor tenants, helping them resist evictions by slumlords cashing in on gentrification. With a mixture of live action, comic book-style animation and a surf guitar soundtrack inspired equally by mariachi music and Batman, Super Amigos shows that with a little imagination, a good heart and the right mask, anyone can activate their communities to triumph over evil. In Spanish with English subtitles – Official Selection, 2007 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.
Click this link, press play, and enjoy!

From: Art Threat
by Ezra Winton on 30/07/10 | Read More

Musicians, artists, and activists protest in Arizona

Arizona’s new immigration law has sparked fervent demonstrations and activist work of all kinds. Many cite the law as a blatant example of racial profiling, scapegoating, and hatred. Yesterday, Arizona federal judge Susan Bolton attempted to affirm the Obama administration’s position against the bill, but failed to meet the demand for an injunction that would have stopped SB1070 all together. Today, SB1070 officially goes into effect, but without many of the provisions that gave the law ‘real teeth‘.
Music artists have joined the ever- growing backlash against Arizona’s new anti-immigration law. The boycotts began two weeks ago, when Rage Against the Machine threw a benefit concert that raised $300,000 for organizations fighting the bill. More and more artists are joining what is being called the Soundstrike, including Kanye West, Cypress Hill, Tenacious D, Massive Attack, Norteno superstars Los Tigres del Norte, salsa-ska band Ozomatli, Nine Inch Nails, Maroon 5, Ben Harper, State Radio, Anti-Flag, and many more. Though some argue that the bands’ efforts will only hurt businesses in Arizona and disappoint fans, the nature of the boycott reflects the anger felt by those fighting against SB1070, a law they see as legalizing racial profiling and fueling an already thriving culture of hatred. In the video below, Zach de la Rocha speaks about the Soundstrike movement:
Click here to view the embedded video.
A number of other activist and artistic efforts have emerged in the fight against SB1070. On July 28th, a group known as Stop the Hate scaled down a construction crane in Phoenix to display a large banner calling for an injunction against the implementation of the law. In a statement released by the group, the activists point to the true nature of the law:
“We say ‘stop hate’ because SB 1070 is not immigration policy. Like the experience of the Irish, Italian, Chinese or others, SB 1070 is simply scapegoating and targeting of the most vulnerable among us in these uncertain times; times that should call us to stand together as a people. Within days of SB 1070 passing, we witnessed vicious hate crimes against Latinos in the Southwest. We know that hateful laws legitimize hateful acts and that tolerating their passage signals a dangerous direction for the country.”
Ernesto Yerena, a 23 year- old activist leader and artist, creates simple posters reminiscent of anti- war and civil rights graphics of the 1960s. Yerena grew up close to the border, and eventually found a way to blend his passion for art with his passionate resistance of the anti- immigration movement. See more of his work here.

Yesterday’s small victory is only the beginning in a long fight that will likely end up in the Supreme Court. As the fight continues, musicians, artists, and other activists will surely continue express their anger with Arizona and it’s leaders. Legislators and citizens are left with the responsibility to demand that this unjust law be stopped.

From: Provisions Library
by Taylor_Waites on 30/07/10 | Read More

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