Began in 2004 in the Siberian city of Novosbirsk, when a group of artist activists named Contemporary Art Terrorism joined the traditional May Day parade – spread to other cities around Russia.
Critique of
A ritual of politics that had become old and tired: May Day marches and protests
(The banner says “Forward to the Dark Past” – a take on the Soviet Slogan “Forward to the Bright Future”
The absurdity of politics and the lack of serious choices and discussion in mainstream political discourse in Russia
But also, as with the Chinese model – a more oblique way to protest in a society where you need a permot for protesting and those permits are routinely denied.
City of Chongqing in Southwest China
Artists and activists using costumes to dramatize the atrocious air pollution in China this past February
Not “protest as usual” – gets media attention with “arresting” images
No arrests. “Safe” protest in authoritarian regime: Is it Art? Is it Politics?
Antanas Mockus, former college professor turned Mayor of Bogota, Columbia. Faced with unruly traffic he hired 420 mimes to make fun of traffic violators, because he believed Colombians were more afraid of being ridiculed than fined.
Practice was so successful that it spread to other Latin American Cities, like Caracas Venezuela where these mimes are directing traffic
“We’re Fed Up” or “Enough is Enough” -- youth movement started in Senegal in 2011 to protest power outages in particular and injustice and inequality in general. Nothing particularly artistic about that.
What is artistic is that Y’en a Marre was started by a hip hop group -- Keur Gui Crew -- and its core is a network of rappers who articulate their criticisms of the present and ideals for the future through rap (and through their concerts register youth to vote, and not sell their voting cards – an all too common practice)
Speaking in the Lingua Franca of Culture (stepping stone to politics)
Reaching the Youth (who make up 60% of the population but feel no one speaks to them) in a language that is their own
What is artistic is that Y’en a Marre was started by a hip hop group -- Keur Gui Crew -- and its core is a network of rappers who articulate their criticisms of the present and ideals for the future through rap (and through their concerts register youth to vote, and not sell their voting cards – an all too common practice)
Speaking in the Lingua Franca of Culture (stepping stone to politics)
Reaching the Youth (who make up 60% of the population but feel no one speaks to them) in a language that is their own
Chris Robbins. Peace Corp. Implementing US solutions in 3rd World. Reverse the process. Parking blockades in Liverpool
- highlights the arrogance of first world development and has them experience it first hand.
- honors the humanity and intelligence of the think tank
throws into question the assumptions that powerful economies have good ideas
Slogan: “Developing the First World”
Name the dog love
Name the dog love
Name the dog love
Parking blockades
- highlights the arrogance of first world development and has them experience it first hand.
- honors the humanity and intelligence of the think tank
- throws into question the assumptions that powerful economies have good ideas
Signs that say it all
Culture and the arts did not only provide a reservoir from which the Civil Rights Movement could draw, they were active creations of the movement itself.
Here’s an epic moment in the Civil Rights struggle: Rosa Parks, a Montgomery, Alabama seamstress, tired after a long day of work, who in 1955 refused to give up her seat to a white person and sit in the back of a segregated bus. An act that launched the Civil Rights Movement
In other words: it was a planned and staged performance.
(MORE)
Aruguably, the best creative activists in the past hundred years have been those in the Nazi Party
Spectacle:
Nazi party at Nuremberg Rally
Drawing on traditional and popular culture (notice the Holy Trinity), creating spectacle (Nueremberg was reality staged for the camera) and understanding politics as an art form. The Nazis were masters at the practice.
Golden Calf: mobilizing a symbol that is part of the common cultural lexicon.
Occupy Faith: Marching with ministers, priests, rabbis and Imams:
A tactical decision to broaden the base of OWS after critics and mainstream media and critics characterized protestors as dreadlocked students; coming on the heels of a labour support rally a few days earlier.
