"Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art."
d e v o n
Not today Justin

No title available

祝日 / Permanent Vacation

Love Begins
will byers stan first human second

Janaina Medeiros
Stranger Things
dirt enthusiast

Kaledo Art

No title available
NASA
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
todays bird

Kiana Khansmith

Product Placement
$LAYYYTER
Sade Olutola
occasionally subtle
almost home
seen from United States

seen from Vietnam
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States

seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from Romania
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from China

seen from United States
seen from Chile
seen from United States
seen from Netherlands
@digic
"Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art."
Ai Weiwei, Surveillance Camera with Marble Stand, 2015
A modern beauty found in the boldness of this sculpture by Ai creates this piece of material culture that can be seen to convey many critiques. For instance the controversial People’s Republic of China’s continuing surveillance of content on the internet to prevent dissidence. Outwardly odd and aesthetically obscure. This piece directly digs at both Chinese culture and international perceptions of such if you were wondering what I think. Criticisms of the censorships come far and wide however they often lack any cultural relativism. How can anyone outside of China truly understand the extent of entering into social media or the internet on the inside? Often we can’t grasp the full experience yet due to the obvious business risks associated with ignoring the insurgence of Netizens in China there are now more international businesses venturing into the Chinese social mediascape. Same goes for countries like Australia entering into trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The neo-liberal fascist fever seems to have been passed through a few elite circles. However there's evidence of governments ganging up on prosumers (or conducers) in order to silence any dissidents. The people putting their personal content to the platforms are like the performers on the stage ready to sell out the show but the venue won’t let the audience in because their tickets aren’t valid. That’s when people start to bribe the bouncer and desperation sets in. Which is somewhat like economies of wealthy nations. Sadly platforms don't dictate the practice of any public performance in places like China and Australia. Whether it’s crisis management, political engagement, or environmental arrangements, the possibility of corruption for economic gain is probable. Let’s not forget that the sculpture shown is made of marble. The metaphor mainly works to motivate ‘clicktivists’ so that they can create their own view on this conflict but mostly it shows the mainstream glorification of rare resources. This issue reminds me of the finite amount of fiscal funds available for governing bodies in society. Which raises the concern over continuing to be vigilant so that even if we are subjected to surveillance we make ourselves informed so that we can hold authorities accountable in society. The risk associated comes from abuse of autonomy and when we find solutions as well as criticisms we have an ability to finally innovate. Often we only allow ourselves to outwardly afford each other a basic level of observation. This leads to an obstruction of innovation. Perhaps this piece outlines the artists own struggle with public perception and perseverance despite being subjected to cruelty amongst critiques alongside his imprisonment. Regardless there is a criticism in this content that is beyond creative, to me, it is conductive. Individualism is constantly critiqued so collectivism should be scrutinised cohesively in an attempt to diversify the representation of authorities. Otherwise there is an amount of corruption afforded to those in networks of social power. Personally that’s the most pervasive problem for public policy. That’s why the strength of the corrupt should encourage activism which we can afford ourselves if the considerable white collar crime is regulated then the perpetrators are properly prosecuted.
Where there’s a method to what might seem like madness in the image above, there might not be, but nonetheless the comparisons are almost concrete. Take into account the Zodiac and also the desire for worldly wealths like gold and use it to align this dialogue somewhere between sanity and sanctity. This is because in the context of digital communication there are many examples of conflict between the consumers and creators specifically when it comes to obsolescence and obscurity. By acting innovatively there is a cultural exchange existing between us regardless of position.This comparison may seem colourful and also to be creatively collecting the data of Chinese social media companies however there are many nuances that negatively impact the idea of freedom of information internationally. For instance, Ai Weiwei as a search term is heavily censored on Sina Weibo, but because of his social media presence on Twitter there’s an implied practice that continues to discuss his work that’s often ignored, exampling how the state sponsored censorship from the Chinese government is flawed in the execution. This development is linked to the formation of the platform Sina Weibo and could be viewed as a strategic solution to the issue of insurgence or dissidence to the Chinese elite following the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That increase of following determined a digital response from the rule-makers eventuating to the censorship we come to avoid. From platforms that provide discussions like TedTalk with Michael Anti, to artists like Beyoncé at the Superbowl, there is quite a weird way to show sincerity to social justice issues. Is there any sensitivity to the struggles of the like poverty, empowerment, pollution and child slavery profiteering? I’ll let it slide for now but clearly nobody’s perfect.
Rather than research there is often only a reaction occurring in practice coming to the random platforms that are proliferating from the technological revolution. The concept of communicative rational is reasonably conflicting for corporations and governments. Most are manoeuvring just the same landscapes we are but have managed to find their power or position meek and sought more as a way to manipulate their mired existence. Social media in China and the practices that affect the public are possibly more politically concentrated in the sense that there aren't the same international censorship occurring from content host controversies. This is mainly exampled with Tidal, Spotify and Apple music competing for the same marketshare which has lead to the multiplication of exclusivity. This shouldn’t be hard to handle. Exclusion tactics are terrible. Try and argue against that. We can examine the past to predict potential predicaments in the future to perceive the ways individuals can improve the public they can participate in. Rather than focusing on the physical and fiscal potential of people. Even the Beyhive are guilty here.
While there are obvious and simple solutions to censorship the worry is worsened when you consider population and outsourcing from international countries. Without access to a public sphere there’s a real risk of concentrating the exploited workers of multinational corporations into conditions that compel submission and continue even after intervention is sought due to a lack of resources. Prolonged publicity on this practice could reach plateaus that may already be beyond the creative competency to sustain change for corporations who abuse their power with governing bodies plagued by corruption. Just check out the Electronics Industry Trends most recent publication “The Truth Behind the Barcode.” It didn’t give a single company an A grade for worker rights. That was released in February 2016 but this issue of broken boundaries by the ‘billionaire class’ is well documented and worthwhile considering . When legislation is diluted the length of discrimination extends until the issue is concentrated on by the society as much as the policy makers. This spotlight lends attention to the lack of innovation along the ideal of implementing an informed international standard. That’s kind of strange considering the
Look at the 2008 Olympics, specifically at the Beijing ‘Birds Nest’ architecturally designed by Ai Weiwei, who now regrets his work due to the woeful welfare of the workers. They weren’t allowed to form unions and the conditions have been claimed to be beyond brutal. That same year the State Council for the People’s Republic of China promulgated the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Open Government Information" (中华人民共和国政府信息公开条例) Four years later the Associated Foreign Press published an article on the U.K Telegraph website giving the gospel like quote from Weiwei saying that "I can endure this situation because I experienced many hardships as a child and I have many supporters... However, I doubt the average person could maintain a normal state of mind." He was right to doubt this. No need to search, here’s something taken by Eric Galindo 4 years after and as you can see there are workers cleaning the canal due to the desolation since the Olympic Games.
So what is the best case study I know that relates to the study of Chinese public? The increased death toll at Apple iPhone manufacturing has become so horrid that they have installed safety nets to reduce rooftop suicide attempts. Meanwhile operating out of international locations there are many conglomerates who have their product or content created by below minimum wage in comparable economies. There is a practice of squashing the leak of information to the public but there are still platforms that allow the publicity of conflict uncompromisingly. Android is probably the best extension of that considering the open development submissions for applications aren’t controlled by the corporations who are the major beneficiaries of the creation the device instead of compiling content. The product is being placed alongside prime digital real estate in the current digital economy but it’s most interesting when there’s the disillusionment between the developers and the distributors. I remember the first time I saw the Phone Game. I was at home after recently upgrading to an iPhone 4S 64Gb and I was deeply disturbed. I was steeped in social media use at the time and still could see the severity of WHAT I was coming to realise. It’s all constructed and contrived to make the consumer see the product the way the sellers do. That’s why when an moment like the Phone Game ban happens it almost needs to be honoured by choosing to discuss the implications it has on all individuals involved. Including both you and I.
I felt like I had run afoul the company that was developing my favourite products until I became aware of the constant struggle of child slavery across continents such as Asia and Africa. I sought out more, leading to the AND festival or ABANDON NORMAL DEVICES. I had never thought like this before. Whether it’s mining the coltan for the device or manufacturing in production facilities there is a clear conflict for some consumers. The company Molleindustria behind Phone Story made a public donation to a Foxconn former employee followed by a statement to their website commenting that, “The unusual attention to the Foxconn case is partly due to a broader debate around de-industrialization and the related unemployment crisis in the West, and in part due to the moral high-ground that Apple has achieved in the eyes of its loyal customer base.” Reminding us all how far the problem has been pressured into our psychology.
Here is where the issue becomes contentious; the Chinese domestic market is being flooded with smart devices, while African countries often suffer from inaccessible circumstances to create policy due to corruption resulting from underdeveloped infrastructure, and the rest of the world profits off of a dichotomy between arguably the most and least developed nations of the world. If Apple removing the original application “The Phone Game,” from its servers isn't enough to elaborate the extent to which the censorship comes from a corporate context just as much as head of states like in China e.g. Ai Weiwei removed from Sina Weibo then there is no explanation sufficient. We will never know everything that goes on behind the scene but transparency is a key factor in deciding the financial success of certain social media platforms. This relates back to the issues of form in regards to the communication of an authoritarian censorship, because it gives boundary to the ideal of a public sphere, which can often lead to lacking performance without freedom of information. Habermas has a criteria for a public sphere that can be applied to the practices from social media platforms in China, when there’s a removal of the title to recognise the importance of freedom. Yet the similarities with Australia’s current border security regime has the concern for safety as its disguise but the constriction on censorship are mainly conflated because of the Fascist elements that can be derived from such a comparison. Trying to educate consumers while competing with content that is explicitly created simply to entertain is an issue that’s not often openly discussed. We have to be held responsible for our content consumption and this could be argued as how we’re being made accountable. Forgoing any depth or conflict in place of favour and depiction relates to the issue of insensitivity. That’s a pretty common theme and I recognise that reality but that’s why I attempted some balance between sense and reason. I hope that was achieved. If not, I apologise in advance.
Australia could be said to have the United Kingdom as it’s Mother, then the United States of America as it’s helicopter Father, and we need to hold them accountable for their actions too. Something more like the Chinese public with their unique practices. This is possibly the result of focusing on the legislative corruption that occurred pre-internet following British Commonwealth colonisation. Now moving into the millennium there is a momentary window of opportunity to openly express egalitarian values without victimisation from conglomerates or corrupt authorities. Can it last? We’ll either find out or be stuck in the past.
“I think art is a very important weapon to achieve human freedom.” Ai Weiwei
A photo posted by jim? jimbo? jimbo macdaddy? (@nameslike_james) on Apr 16, 2016 at 3:48pm PDT
So here is the variety of social gaming that I afford myself lately. The variety of practice and publicity is almost like a performance. Playing the game turns into preparing content to publish for self promotion or playful socialising rather than achieving the implied goal of completing the game itself. This has gone on since arcades. We are social creatures who use the platform of gaming to practice publicity and promotion so why not manipulate that to make money? Fox and Nintendo have taken what Atari made into a social movement that attracts many investments and conflicts.Mainly sharing and providing a Sims like simplicity to the fold that any could probably find problems with at every turn. Ranging from the trend towards users setting public social profiles on transmedia platforms leading to defrauding, and discrimination victims. Whereas the intention was possibly as harmless as any of the host developers creating this content, the impact can be insincere. Bullying and industrial bitching are possibly the most boring products of the practice of game development and gaming moving into mainstream popular culture. Games have existed for longer than the current technology so many of us rely on to replay our favourite platforms games. I personally don’t care anymore for harassment against me on any platform however I bloody love exercising caution with every use because of the poor perception for the majority of social attitudes towards gamers. So please don’t consider me one, I’m only here to post on the practice, I hardly play at all. Yet now I’m at level 54 on The Simpsons: Tapped Out with a friendship score of 5 but I don’t play hardly at all anymore yet this happened earlier today...
So I don’t think there’s much point to the constant conflict online but the satirical side is my investment in social gaming. There’s enough seriousness in the rest of society whether it’s economic or environmental and I believe that’s why the escapism of gaming is what gave rise to the successful strength of the gaming industry to stand alone regardless of society and individual reactions to the reasons for or why there are certain practices on some platforms for particular publics. That’s why it’s best to prepare yourself for the worst when seeking out social gaming but cater the crowd carefully to your own conditions or find yourself struck out by insensitivity. Like a brash young raven once replied “nevermore.” So I think ‘try it before you buy it’ is probably the best mantra to have when it comes to being mindful with gaming practices. Sometimes you have to sell out to save yourself being stuck without social capital. Here’s how I did just that:
Using @LinkedIn for its affordance of self promotion and @Miitomo_JP to seek validation of this #MiitomoStyle look 🐻 pic.twitter.com/HeLKXabnzH
Asylum Seeker/Refugee public health campaign
This social action campaign crosses the literal border between a public health campaign and sheer shock value in society. The impact of using a pair of siblings, especially a young girl and boy, being eventually separated by their plight as asylum seekers. Even after being processed as refugees both the physical and mental health of the subjects could be constantly creating cynical interpretations for audiences. Put yourself in their place. It is ongoing and it is everywhere. That is the clear message created in this campaign and it is a desperately needed conveyance of the sincerest form of social media stories in action. More time and effort focusing in on the issues that affect the most vulnerable group of humans on earth like children can reiterate the need for a reaction from older members of society. That's what is most important for the producers aka Save the Children U.K. who could be seen to be using scare tactics to bewilder viewers in this specific production. However it's the long term solution that is in doubt and therefore being sought by this public health campaign. Saving the children en masse personally means moving towards a modern movement of acceptance for all refugees and asylum seekers to me. That is hardly damaging to the society or the social justice being sought therefore reinforcing the requirements of real social reactions in order to create change. “When will the ignorance end?” I hear you asking, well that's when all of us, each and every single one of us especially those recognises the raw human struggle in every refugee. The corporations involved in social enterprises, political parties, media franchises, and banking often capitalise off of using similar tactics to these. Yet recently there has been released content on mainstream channels that compliments or creates controversy around this topic of safety and border security. Then there’s the social conflict over ethnicities. Well the Australian media may finally be catching up to the rest of the first world. As seen here with my favourite Gold Logie winner, Waleed Aly, the first non-white to win the coveted trophy.
For instance, both Waleed Aly and Noni Hazlehurst at the 2016 Logies openly continuing the conversation of diversity at the premier award for media (if you're into that kind of thing which I'm not because look at their past it’s far from diverse) that I am so absolutely awestruck by.
Yet despite progressive discussions in the political election at the same time in the exact media channels which often redirects that kind of reaction to act redundant on the offshore processing of Australia and its asylum seekers. Been there, done that. Remember Merlin from Big Brother Australia?
Refugees aren't been processed in a positive perspective for me personally so there's only as much as I can write on the issue but the recent publication of self immolation, suicide and rape on Nauru and the illegality of Manus island offshore processing I don't think there's much to argue really. We have the real issue of people dying and desperately trying to recover their lives with media coverage that's woefully wicked when it comes to policy yet international social media attention can help prevent the problem in my opinion. There's so much space in Australia that you could fit the entire geographical land mass of the United Kingdom several times over in the state of Western Australia alone. There are accepted areas for social integration and an increase in social enterprises engaged with these minorities but mainstream media and politics here often act blind to the plight of their countries’ asylum seekers. Maybe an Australian campaign to Save the Children could create the change to save the conflict of more damage to the humans like baby Asha or the woman seeking an abortion after being denied responsibility by the federal immigration minister. Here’s an image from ABC of a recent Brisbane protest fighting to #letthemstay
Then there's international incarnations to inspire innovation of public health campaigns like the 2015 Independents report in the United Kingdom with Reuters photographing a boy washed ashore a Turkish beach after more than 40 drowned in the Mediterranean Sea that gained international attention.
This is Alan Kurdi, a young boy, whose life may have ended excessively early but the impact on viewers may hopefully be enough to stir a reaction from those who can affect social change. Activist artist like Ai Weiwei have done significant work to symbolically represent the radical ignorance towards the issue of migrating to seek asylum. Also receiving his fair share of criticism over photographs such as this.
His social media art may have just as much of in impact as this Save the Children U.K public health campaign shown in this photograph replicating the representation of these horrors. His homage to Supporting the same struggling individuals who are at real risk as they attempt to be processed as refugees in safer areas. I would hope rather hope for something more like ‘Process refugees now’ or ‘save us all…’
@aiww pieces will be leaving this split exhibition after tomorrow and you should definitely see them while you still can (à National Gallery of Victoria)
This installation may have come and gone but some of it can still be seen here. I should probably stop using the Ai Weiwei and Andy Warhol exhibition but I doubt that I ever will. I really believe that this piece is an innovative idea of Ai Weiwei that could be interpreting a crisis internally and creating intense content from that inspiration.
The direct delicacy of this completely contrasts with the dark depth of its background. Creating captivating artwork with activist art as your platform is a dangerous task. Especially if you're from China and you're internationally renowned as a Chinese-dissident artist. Ai Weiwei worked as an architect for the construction of a major stadium in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games after being contracted by the Chinese government. He saw the conditions suffered by his coworkers and he sought to act accordingly. He created art to raise criticism regarding Chinese government infrastructure corruption.
The ethics involved must have been considered questionable when Ai Weiwei was working. Eight years ago there was an earthquake that lead to the deaths of 69,000 most of who were school children in Sichuan, China. More than 370,000 were injured as a result also. Ai Weiwei used social media to air his frustrations over the apparent school building construction flaws that extended the impact of the crisis. Following the disaster there were various practices of crowdsourcing but more interestingly was the use of crowdfunding to create a response. Ai Weiwei used both rubble from the disaster zones, collected school backpacks and details of the deceased to display an homage artwork in Munich the following year and other pieces that have travelled globally.
Crowdsourcing has arguably allowed Ai Weiwei to continue his work as an activist artist. However he would still be imprisoned if not for the activism that sought to expose the inhumane treatment that Ai Weiwei was suffering around the time. Despite that continuing with surveillance and withholding of his passport Ai has managed since to travel the world with his art. His plight in Chinese prison followed with being constantly surveilled. So in peaceful protest he collected flowers to arrange and photograph in the view of the security cameras. This is also arguably a form of crowdsourcing in order to create content. Even after the exhibition in Melbourne it is still actively consumed by crowds of all kinds. Crowdsourcing between conventional communities of authority and conversely the crowds is how a legacy can be left that creates controversy. Cheers to Ai Weiwei for reminding us that the purpose of beautiful combinations can be to create colourful distractions.
This is the kind is work that gets artists into trouble in some countries. Straight, 2008-2012 by Ai Weiwei
So, a little more background about this photo…
http://www.designboom.com/art/ai-weiwei-straightens-150-tons-of-steel-rebar-from-sichuan-quake/
The installation, made of re-bars of the destroyed schools and hammered straight again by Ai Weiwei’s assistants, took up most of the room. In the background of this photo, are names of the victims who died in these collapsed schools.
I took a picture of the end of that list–the list ended at 5196, with victims as young as 2 and as old as 20 (keeping in mind of communist China’s “one-child” policy, for families of older victims, those families are unlikely to have another child again).
The loss of life alone is a terrible tragedy. In a country with a rapidly growing economy, the tragedy of losing one’s only child has a wider implication. The parents are spending their productive years in one stage of that country’s economy. When they get old, they will live in a country that is quite a bit more economically advanced than the one they have worked in (reads: their meager savings they have accumulated during their working years will not be enough for them to support themselves and they will likely have to continue to work until they are physically unable to).
The names of the victims were read by Chinese volunteers (Ai Weiwei has a habit of enlisting volunteers to compile larger scale works), and ran over 3 hours long, playing in the background of this exhibit hall.
Modern building code, based on solid engineering work, does exist in the communist regime. But here, deep in the Chinese interior, far from central government influence, corruption is common. As a result, the building code was not followed, and both the local officials and the construction managers pocketed the money not spent on these corner-cutting projects. That’s why there were schools of shoddy workmanship–some of them collapsed right next to older buildings that withstood the earthquake.
Ai Weiwei pissed off the local officials with his investigation, and the art work that came out of it. He has been in trouble with the communist regime ever since.
The process of straightening out all that steel for "Straight" and then displaying it alongside all those names in "Remembrance," is a staggering example of the need of crowdsourcing and crowdfunding. Especially for artists as they attempt to use activism to achieve social change. The children affected by these crises are often glossed over despite their families continuing on through the grief. Ai Weiwei creates combining these social justice concepts to convey the conviction and conflicting response that they deserve. Which doesn't work out well for authority who are trying to cover up their corruption by inaction of preventative disaster impact reduction efforts. Majorly affecting the increase to an already tragic death toll that arose from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake situation. Crowdsourcing the names of lives lost is a collective homage paid by the artist and all those who contributed. There aren't many works that can chill me to the core but this exhibit definitely does.
I wanna ride my bicycle, I wanna ride my bike. 🚲🚲
I think everybody should like everybody.
Andrew Warhola [Andy Warhol]
Remember the Tony times? How could Australia forget former Prime Minister Tony Abbott is a better question. Australian artists had an animated and raw reaction to Abbott. Somewhat shown in the link above with Chris Mitchell’s Pinocchio parody piece. Not quite like butter however salty at best are the forms of alternative protest made through sub-activism culture jamming that have formed from subcultural interest increase. Subversive practices performed in public places by street artists are forming their own communities. Often they use pop culture references to create political messages for whatever their persuasion they choose: There are examples such artists receiving sponsorships and government subsidies to show their work using specific areas in urban areas. Most culture jamming has evolved by taking similar aspects of pop art then evoking a modern interpretation of activist art that isn’t new but has increased. Often we only see international artists exampling culture jamming. Ai Weiwei is best at this through his piece the Coca-Cola vase that I shared which was just previously on display at the National Gallery of Victoria. Poor pottery? For the sake of art, not really, it’s just an inanimate antique water jug. Luckily there are local artists like Peter Drew (see below), and Chris Mitchell who’s work is linked here with this Star Wars parody titled “Game of Clones.” Possibly the result of the passage of metadata legislation, or reductions to funding of the arts, higher education reforms, rural indigenous community closures, or otherwise. As politicians pressure the public with their own persuasive opinions so do artists. The purposes of each are reflected in their posturing or pandering. How far will someone go to satisfy their audience? Take a guess. Communities dictate the popularity of each member through rules like piracy laws or intellectual property infringement. This links back to the way individuals are constantly catering to their crowd and will be discussed in future posts. Yet it even more shows that art and politics continue to hold focus in mainstream society that thanks to social media are both using cultural jamming as a platform here in Australia. Both artists work mentioned here is still on display in the same location at Degraves street in the C.B.D. Abbott and the Coalition similarly have been stuck in the public eye. From satires of mainstream fictional characters in unconventional styles to homages paid in respect of certain people or their achievements there is an incredible amount of work exemplifying how to best repurpose content. Do your research and source the owner of whatever intellectual property or suffer the consequences if there ever are any. With metadata legislation being passed that allows the government to store personal information for up to two years. Check out Chris Mitchell’s’ Celout artwork here and another more recent piece unshared image made as my cover photo. You can also view the metadata legislation here: http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/legislation/ems/r5375_ems_1fc1188e-ecfb-4772-9b9d-334dc9ff53a2/upload_pdf/Supp%20EM%20-%20TELECOMMUNICATIONS%20(INTERCEPTION%20AND%20ACCESS)%20AMENDMENT%20(DATA%20R….pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf Other Celout works: https://celout.org My Celout cover photo: https://www.facebook.com/jamestmckernan/posts/10153698352707815
Han Dynasty Urn with Coca Cola logo
“Taste the feeling.”
Here is a fucking prime photography series by Ai Weiwei formed out of opposition to Chinese and global nationalism. This is the most relevant example of artists or civilians responding to policies or cultures that oppress minorities like rural, disconnected communities, like that outside of metro areas. Best in person for the sheer quantity of these high quality images.
Yet concepts like global citizenship that reflect this protest by extension aren’t mainstream until there are artists who betray what is deemed socially acceptable. Ai Weiwei has used his social media accounts for their promotional and political affordances quite well. Andy Warhol once said “Art is whatever you can get away with. The relationship to the underdog or lower socioeconomic backgrounds resonates with wider demographics than tourist promotion.
Motivating new perspectives and responses from consumers can further assist groups through new platforms just like Tumblr and Facebook. For instance, this series “Fuck you” by Ai Weiwei, is comparably better here to how this piece was framed at the National Gallery of Victoria because I honestly prefer interacting with it through Tumblr as the platform. The tourist focus apparent at the N.G.V. makes it less comfortable to love their exhibitions especially when they take extensive lengths to access easily. Using social media to interact and share personal ideas or experiences can expand work to become more than a one idea and transcend into a piece of art.
Social networking across multiple social media platforms can assist with traditional forms of protest to establish a movement and sustain social change. Arguably why Ai Weiwei isn’t imprisoned and can continue to create any given piece with the same political passion motivating media interest internationally. However he has not yet had his passport returned. So the social change is slow when it comes to progression and usually hard to quantify.
There is still substantial stigmas around unconventional forms of protest too. Art protests made through photography with social media as the platform for political action against social injustices work to impress moments or experiences at certain points in history. Ai had an experience that was affected by the detriment of Chinese nationalism. His art is obviously motivated and influenced as a result. Certain protests like the Chinese Pro-democracy movement of early 2011 causing the disappearance of Ai Weiwei for 81 days. The Washington Post reported that he was apprehended at Beijing airport on route to Hong Kong and then jailed where he experience inhumane conditions. Such as constant surveillance or lack of hygiene. See article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/chinese-artist-ai-wei-wei-arrested-in-latest-government-crackdown/2011/04/03/AFHB5PVC_story.html
This sparked a global reaction that caused the foundation of the free Ai Weiwei blog and his art gained new attention leading to the focus on his release to stop oppression of protesters. Following his release Ai gained more infamy then a TED talk and a music video production titled “Dumbass.” Youtube “Dumbass” viewable here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyQZ-oLshOQ TED talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVnH8ou3Kd4 This exemplifies the underdog aspect of activist art and the struggle a large amount of creatives can experience or how interacting with new social platforms can alleviate the limitations of affordances of communication and socialisation.
Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1957)
Fountain of Light, TATE Liverpool, 2007
Ai Weiwei collaborated with long-dead Vladimir Tatlin (Russian, 1885-1953) to create a brilliantly glowing, floating chandelier for Liverpool. Created of stainless steel and Chinese crystals, it is a monument to excessive splendor.
🇦🇺 (à Degraves Street, Melbourne)
Adelaide artist Peter Drew fighting ethnocentrism in a contemporary context with this cross-cultural political poster of Monga Khan. Monga helped open the Australian deserts to settlers as a cameleer and was key in the introduction of Islam. Peter Drew said, “I think it's a small amount of people who have probably never met a Muslim and are a little bit afraid and so they see someone who looks different with the world Aussie underneath them and it confronts them and I want to confront them, those people, in a gentle way, just to sort of show them that Aussie doesn't mean, isn't a small box, it's a big idea." 1000 of these powerful posters have been put up around the city and prove the power of crowdfunding or social change through activism. As well as the diversity of the history dating back before federation.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/04/08/poster-campaign-explores-idea-real-aussie