contemporary art and globalization

contemporary art and globalization

[goodghoulz]

The Ural Industrial Biennial of Contemporary Art

Organized by the National Center for Contemporary Arts, the Ural Industrial Biennial of Contemporary Art was founded in 2010 and takes place in Ekaterinburg, Russia. The overarching themes of this biennial deal with “material and symbolic production, industrial and artistic labor, the industrial and the post-industrial in the context of the city (en.uralbiennale.ru).” In accordance with this structure, the exhibition takes over local factory spaces. The first biennial, held in 2010, was titled Shockworkers of the Mobile Image, and was held in the Ural Worker Printing Press, located in Ekaterinbug, of which serves as the “hub of Russia’s resource economy”. Curated by Cosmin Costinas, Ekaterina Degot, and David Riff, this first exhibition consisted of 54 artists addressing ideas of image circulation, capitalism, and “the economy of free time” as a part of the main project. They also hold special projects, curated by Alisa Prudnikova, that are site-specific and aim to “change the public perception of industry, to bring plants and factories back to the quotidian urban context (en.first.uralbiennale.ru).”

Upon reading about the biennial’s main project, I found their discussion of reproduction to be particularly interesting and relevant to the idea of contemporary art in a globalized world. They talk about how the majority of the work in the exhibition is not original in that the work primarily consists of prints, videos, etc.  This notion then lends to a conversation about the unique art object and originality, and in reference to this the Ural Industrial Biennial claims they want to “show that extreme mobility and reproducibility are unalienable preconditions of art today, and more, that they are a place where intellectual production and politics can be activated and upheld (en.first.uralbienniale.ru).” In doing so, the biennial aims to subvert the idea that masterpieces can only exist as originals, and instead embrace the dissemination, reproduction, and manipulation of art in the contemporary globalized world. 

http://en.first.uralbiennale.ru/

[contemp-art-blog]

Have you seen this new YouTube series called “Art VS Reality”?

This YouTube channel started recently in March and will continue to create this series for the next couple of months. This first episode is “Art Galleries VS Reality” and the second episode covers “Conceptualism VS Reality.” The episode I would like to point out and discuss is the third in this series titled, “Street Art VS The Art Market.”

I understand I’ve been posting quite a bit about the global contemporary art market and the reason why is that it just intrigues me and astounds me at the same time. It

Anyway, the video discusses the brief history and evolution in how art was accessed by the public. It also states that art fairs, like Art Basel—which is an excellent example which this video references through a great deal of references and visuals— are actually a step back from the D.I.Y. aspects of the Impressionists when it came to exhibiting their own art to the general public. The fake art critic in the video questions and theorizes that art fairs are actually an old hat and are just another version of the art salons meant for the wealthy, but under a different name and a different guise.

Do you think art fairs are just another form of the art salon from the days past or do you think this video is just unreasonably cynical in it’s view of the current art market?

[goodghoulz]

  This question is difficult to answer and I’m not sure that I can take a definite stance on the matter. That being said, I don’t think that art fairs are salons in disguise, nor do I view this YouTuber’s perspective to be “unreasonably cynical”. In the wake of the 60 Minutes segment we recently viewed in class, I think that this video contributes to the conversation of the current climate of the contemporary art market. Is it only accessible to the 1%, such as in the art salons of the past? And if so, is there a way around this system in order to make art available to the general public, especially when, as we saw in the video, street art is being removed from its intended alternative location and being sold in galleries? This is were the question at the end of the video comes into play:

 “Can subcultures present a real alternative to the art world? Or are they just waiting to be corrupted by the art market?”

I am inclined to believe that while the art market may find a way to capitalize on the street art that was meant to subvert such systems, that there will always be subcultures forging new paths to an art world accessible outside of larger institutions. I suppose that in attempting to answer the above questions, I am saying that even though art fairs may be dominated by the wealthy, the contemporary art world is far too broad to assume that those seeking an alternative cannot escape corruption by the market, especially with the prominence of the internet as a source for dissemination and artistic encounters.

[goodghoulz]

            I would like to share very useful resource for which to find a variety of arts organizations from countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Founded by two Dutch foundations in 2007, Arts Collaboratory promotes “collaborative, inventive, and open visual arts practices that are socially engaging and transformative (artscollaboratory.org)” and serves to fund and initiate exchanges within the global art world. The organization itself strives to work closely with all of the participating institutions and promotes collaboration in its contribution to the transnational network. Arts Collaboratory functions on both local and global scales, and provides a “platform where these communities meet, enabling the sharing of knowledge across regions, borders, and languages (artscollaboratory.org).” As previously stated, Arts Collaboratory financially supports projects, of which organizations can apply to throughout multiple points in the year. Along with this, they maintain an exchange/residency program as well.

            This resource serves as a perfect platform to find a variety of different arts organizations from across the globe, all compiled in an easy to access list on their website, artscollaboratory.org. Based on my explorations, all of the links lead to actual organizations that serve as reputable sources for global art news and happenings in general. Furthermore, they operate on Tumblr, whose site has even more accessible posts on specific events from selected organizations in their program. The blog also provides a list of categories for greater specificity in your global arts search. Overall, this resource would be a great addition to anyone’s Tumblr feed and provides relevant information on biennials, workshops, projects, and the like.

[goodghoulz]

Reading response to Claudette Lauzon's "Reluctant Nomads"

1. In discussing the modes of art making to emerge in the wake of global biennial culture, Lauzon rehearses several terms to help explain projects that deal with "the elided connections between the nomadic tendencies of biennial culture and the barriers and exclusions engendered by global capitalism"(27). Explain 3 of the following terms and how they are useful to Lauzon's discussion.

Romance of nomadism: The “romance of nomadism” is the ideal of transnationalism and the nomadic artist. In the new contemporary art world, the idea of migration has become one of intrigue; however, this concept becomes idealized and abstracted, failing to acknowledge the realities of dislocation and transnational movement. “The romance of nomadism” can then serves as a platform to discuss larger issues of this displacement and the denial of the current global crisis.

New institutionalism: “New institutionalism” addresses ideas of “transience, flux, and relationality (Lauzon p.16)”, aiming to subvert the static nature of a location. In doing so, institutional spaces and converted into less traditional sites, such as studios, places to hang-out, and other communal areas.

Migratory aesthetics: As defined by Mieke Bal, “migratory aesthetics” encompasses processes of the globalized world that influence site-specific art. This concept acknowledges the inevitability of mobility, and the aesthetic encounter as a result of this action. Bal argues that while contemporary art can still and has to be linked to its site, a static location, that it likewise will be affected by the migratory nature of globalization.

The above image is a work by French-Moroccan artist Yto Barrada, called The Belt, Step 1 to 9, of which depicts an expressionless woman removing layers of clothing, addressing the smuggling of textiles into Morocco. Lauzon uses Barrada as an example of an artist in the 2006 Seville Biennial, who among others, “enrich and are enriched by interaction with the concept of migratory aesthetics (Lauzon p. 22),” which is apparent in this piece. 

[hyperallergic]

The government of Senegal has ordered the closure or cancelation of all exhibitions dealing with queer issues in the 2014 edition of Dak’Art, the 11th Biennale of Contemporary African Art.

[goodghoulz]

I would like to share a recent event regarding 2014 Dak’art, the 11th Biennial of Contemporary African Art, in which the Senegalese government called for the cancelation of any exhibitions that address queer issues. This decision was made in regards to the exhibition Precarious Imaging: Visibility and Media Surrounding African Queerness specifically, which opened on May 11. The next day, the exterior of the gallery was vandalized, the façade and lighting destroyed. Simultaneously, two Senegalese organizations, MbañGacce and Jamra, denounced the exhibition, which only seemed to justify the vandalism that took place, and by May 31, the government had shut the exhibition down. A statement from the organizations claims “this event, supposed to promote our culture, proves to be a propaganda vehicle for unions against nature. It is undeniable that this edition of Dak’art is detrimental to our morality and our laws (hyperallergic.com).” While Dak’art states that this recent series of events was unexpected, the fact that homosexuality is illegal in Senegal is undeniably relevant to the action taken. This decision seems to be quite a contrast to the biennale’s mission, as a description (roughly translated) from their exhibition states that it “will provide, we hope, a place and a time to reflect together on art, politics, and assert that being together is the only horizon for humanity (biennaledakar.org).” It appears that the biennale aims to discuss political issues, however, the government prevents them from addressing this specific, relevant matter. This occurrence reminded me of a previous Tumblr post I replied to regarding the potential boycotting/cancelation of the Manifesta Biennial in Russia due to the persecution of those in the LGBTQ community. In accordance with Manifesta, Dak’art serves as another example of conflict between governmental policies and the art world, spurring a  conversation about artistic freedom, government intervention, and the like.

http://hyperallergic.com/131036/senegalese-government-shuts-down-exhibitions-addressing-homosexuality/

http://www.biennaledakar.org/2014/spip.php?article6

[globalizedartnjunk]

Now a few weeks since Muuqi’s presentation on identity and I’m still thinking over the activity we participated in. Honestly, I’m still trying to digest being called a “white girl”. I am white and I am a girl, so what is the problem? During the activity I thought very much about my identity, not...

[goodghoulz]

This post is in response to the previously posed question, "Am I novel because I am a female artist who is producing work and trying to navigate a still male dominated market, or am I just an artist?”

I don’t see why you can’t be both novel and an “artist”; While the idea of women producing art in such venues and mediums that are traditionally male-dominated is not entirely new, the notion is still less common. I can resonate with your artistic processes, as much of the work I produce I do not consider to maintain a feminist message; however, upon examination, I question whether my aesthetic intentions and where they are derived (sometimes craft-based work) in turn makes me a part of and relevant to feminist art. That being said, this is not something that I find negative, nor am avoiding, but I digress. Furthermore, the other half of the time I am painting in a very traditional manner, working in such a way that can refer to male-dominated/produced conventions of the past.

I suppose what I am attempting to get at is that, having a basis of understanding for where you are coming from, I feel as though the practice of working outside of a blatant feminist narrative can qualify you, as a woman, as being somewhat novel. While at the same time, this does not disqualify you from being considered an “artist”; because while the term is sometimes pre-fixed by “feminist” (or any other specification), I think that you, as a producer of culture, should be able to define your own artistic identity based on your intentions. That being said, this question, as I’m sure you’re aware, is probably rhetorical, and I’m not completely sure if I answered it or am even capable of doing so.

[goodghoulz]

Since feminisms seems to be the topic of the day, I would like to share artist Patricia Alvarado of the female art collective, The Coven, whom I briefly touched on in class during show-and-tell. The above video piece Thinking About Wanting To Be White In 2008 In 2013 (part 1) depict the artist straightening her “voluminous, wavy, thick Filipino hair”, as she refers to it, and then in part 2, applying foundation lighter than her natural skin tone to her face. Both videos are an attempt, as a woman of color, to understand her adolescent dislike of her physical self due to imposed ideals stemming from Western (white) beauty standards. These themes are prevalent in Alvarado’s work as she aims to “examine shifts between the 'normal' versus the 'other,' comfort, hypocrisy, and paradox (patricia-alvarado.com).” Much of her work utilizes ideas about body image/ideals, specifically related to hair, often using performance and the body as her medium. In an interview with The Le Sigh, she discusses the use of her body in her work, sharing that she understands how great it feels, as a W.O.C. to see “queer brown women” represented, and hopes to provide moments of representation to girls who likewise feel uncared for. In reference to our last reading about Global Feminisms by Maura Reilly, I found Alvarado’s work to be very relevant in her critique of Western societal standards through the lens of diversity. Although she addresses a lot of beauty and societal expectations, her recent 2014 piece Keep ‘Em Coming, speaks to her struggle with sobriety. This interweaving of a variety of personal experiences reminds me of Reilly’s discussion of multiple feminisms, and the impossibility of framing “feminism” through one definition due to the differences of every woman’s life/identity transnationally. In conjunction with this reading and its discussion of past,  2nd wave feminist concerns (of which excluded topics of race, sex, class, etc.) I will also add that in The Le Sigh interview, Alvarado claims,

            “Intersectionality is everything to me. I don't identify as a feminist myself, because of the many ways in which women of color have been excluded from feminist discourse and dialogue, but intersectional feminist theory undoubtedly plays a very important role in my work. I mean, I owe the knowledge I have today to feminist thinkers and theorists (thelesigh.com).”

While I have been referring to her work as “feminist”, know that she does not identify it so, and on her website she instead uses #womanist. You can check out more of Patricia Alvarado’s work at patricia-alvarado.com, as well as the-coven.tumblr.com.

[goodghoulz]

Reading Response to Maura Reilly's Introduction to Global Feminisms

1. According to curator Maura Reilly, what were the goals of the Global Feminisms exhibition?

            Global Feminisms was an exhibition that adopted ideas related to transnational feminisms, not only representing multicultural artists from the West, but most importantly artists of different cultures across the world. It was also the goal of the show to challenge the monolithic definition of “woman” and subvert the notion that “difference has come to mean disunity (Reilly p. 43)”, therefore, the work in the show represents women artists from diverse locations across the globe who each maintain their own identities in regards to race, sex, religion, class, etc. In doing so, they do not attempt to define/restrict “feminism”, as the work exhibited represents a variety of feminisms. While a goal of the exhibition was to challenge the patriarchal art cannon, Reilly emphasizes that the show does not exclusively address feminism, but is inclusive to a broad variety of topics that are relative to each artist’s transnational experience. 

3. Viewed from a global perspective, what are 2 challenges facing women artists in the early 21st century?

            Although the processes of globalization provide us with the resources to experience/investigate diverse cultures, the challenge still remains to be, from my understanding, the acceptance of multiple feminisms, as Reilly expresses that there continues to be “a general fear that a focus on differences other than sex-gender would result in the dissolution of the larger feminist agenda against sexism, and that the goal toward female empowerment would be diminished (Reilly p. 43).” The issue of underrepresentation within art institutions still bears room for improvement, in regards to both the inclusion of more women artists in museums and galleries as well as the need for greater representation of women of color. There is no doubt that while the system has improved over time, the number of women/W.O.C. exhibited in art institutions remains disproportionate to the number of men. 

The above work entitled Li Ji Where Is Your Original Home (2000) is by by Kate Beynon whom Reilly references in her discussion of transnational feminism, serving as an example of an artist working with themes of multiculturalism and hybrid identity. 

http://www.suttongallery.com.au/artists/artistimages.php?id=18

[goodghoulz]

1. Based on your readings of Caroline Jones', "Biennial Culture and the Aesthetics of Experience" and Time Griffin's "Worlds Apart", and Claire Doherty's "Location, Location" essays, explain (in 3-5 sentences each)  4 specific features of biennial culture (e.g. where does it come from? What kinds of structures does it rely on? What kinds of art making does it facilitate? What kinds of interactions between artists and audiences are made possible? What are some possible pitfalls of these events?)

*note: here I will discuss its origins, the structures, and the pitfalls.

            -The features of biennial culture come from the early development of structures that were influenced by aspects of world fairs. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, biennials utilized elements of spectacle such as “serenades, concerts, refreshments, sporting events, fireworks, theatrical spectacles, and discount railway packages (Jones p. 195)” in conjunction with works of fine art. As biennials evolved over the past century they have, as Jones argues, begun to incorporate these “performative rituals” into the work itself. This notion then leads to the idea of experience within the biennial setting, and how it is influenced by aesthetics and interacts with the viewer.

The above image depicts Cai Guo-Qiang's installation piece from the 2010 Sydney biennial, of which Jones references in her discussion of the history of festivalism (Jones p. 195). 

            -The structure of biennials has come to rely on, as Doherty puts it, “reimagin[ing] place as a situation, a set of circumstances, geographical location, historical narrative, group of people or social agenda to which the artist might respond (Doherty p. 1).” This concept can be seen as a construction of globalization, in that geographical location is no longer relative, and so terms such as “site-specificity” have evolved to include ideas of context and social engagement, among others.  The structure then, requires artists to respond to the various attributes, contexts, and on-goings of the location in which it is held. An example of this is the 9th Istanbul Biennial in 2005, whose goal was to commission artists to make work responding to the context of the city as well as the “imaginative charge” that it possessed.

       -Some pitfalls of these events can be attributed to the idea of the spectacle of which draws tourism, resigning the biennial to an event in which “audiences would move from place to place as subjects in motion or a figures in free circulation, passing through various staged scenes - and often to meet audiences’ preconceptions of what a global exhibition should be (Smith p. 13).” Here, Smith suggests that biennials might be adhering to the elements of contemporary commerce. Another downfall posed by Doherty refers, again, to the requirement of artists to produce site-specific (etc.) work, and that this may foster “quasi-anthropological” work, which according to Hal Foster, “’reduces the desired exchange of dialogical fieldwork’(Doherty p.2)”. 

[goodghoulz]

(via BLACK SALT COLLECTIVE)

Black Salt Collective consists of a small group of WOC artists located in San Francisco, CA whose work represents a variety of cultures and examines contemporary narratives. A description from their Tumblr states,“The work is cultural, but not “cultural” in the anthropological sense of the word, as cultural art is often seen through a Western lens. Black Salt is about contemporary non-linear identity in which experience results in atmosphere (blacksaltcollective.tumblr.com).”

While each of the artists I’m about to discuss reside in the U.S., they all come from diverse backgrounds and utilize a variety of media to express topics of multiculturalism and marginality in the Western world.

Artist Sarah “Sass” Biscarra-Dilley explores not only her Mexican heritage, but also gender roles and the navigation of "the space between worlds ". Grace Rosario Perkins is a multimedia artist whose work explores familial identity and culture. In an interview with ssissterss.com, she talks about growing up on reservations as well as in the city and her self perception due to this interaction; it this background that she addresses in her work, some of which is done in collaboration with other artists and family. Anna Luisa Petrisko a.k.a. Jeepneys is a musician as well as a visual artist, whose pseudonym comes from the appropriation of U.S. military jeeps in the Phillipines; in reference to this she states, “taking an item that has been discarded by your colonizer and turning it into something functional, beautiful, and unique — this is what’s up! (tomtommag.com).” I’m very interested in her interpretation of cultural hybridity and how her ancestry seeps into her art/music; this idea of recognizing and incorporating cultural past into contemporary art plays a prominent role in the work of Black Salt Collective. Finally, Adee Roberson is a Black feminist artist whose collages, drawings, photos and paintings utilize elements of 60’s African psychedelic aesthetics along with other influences as she, like the other members of the collective, appreciates her ancestors through the devices of contemporary art (afrodesiaspores.tumblr.com). Together, these women serve as a great example of the exploration of diversity and multiculturalism in Western society through their contributions to the global art world.  

http://cargocollective.com/shiftingandmultiple/Sarah-Biscarra-Dilley

http://tomtommag.com/2013/01/jeepneys-let-the-ancestors-speak/

http://afrodiaspores.tumblr.com/post/7437003753/adee-roberson-twins-ca-2010-adee-roberson

[goodghoulz]

On May 11th, Frieze Projects New York hosted the talk, The World Wide Web at 25: Terms and Conditions, marking the 25th birthday of the Internet through insights provided by Gene McHugh, Tyler Coburn, and Christiane Paul on the topics of “Net Art” and “Post-Internet Art”. The hour and a half long talk predominantly pertains to the difference between the two genres/movements and also the current direction of art and artists on the Internet. Personally, I did not have much knowledge on either of the two topics, and was not really aware of the distinction between them. This talk is very informative on the matter, and provides multiple perspectives on the meaning of “Post-Internet Art”, of which seems to be increasingly relevant to the art world and its use of the Internet/technology as not only a resource for dissemination, but for production and display as well.

I furiously took notes while listening to the talk and would like to highlight some of the points that I found particularly interesting:

Author of Post Internet, Gene McHugh talks about the transformation of the Internet into something mainstream and commonplace, as well as Internet culture and the groups of artists who have essentially had to produce a new set of vocabulary to discuss their work. McHugh also discusses the construction of his blog and his use of the most basic default settings as an ironic gesture. I found these points to be very relevant to my experience on the internet, as I encounter and participate in them on a regular basis.

The definition of “Net Art” and “Post-Internet Art” seems to be fairly ambiguous; however, Curator Christiane Paul defines “Post-Internet” as art that is informed by network technology, and can be manifested in a physical form, yet is continually manipulated by these processes. Later, the panel discusses the differences between the two genres, claiming that “Net Art” was more of a rejection of the institution through the production of art that could be experienced anytime and anywhere, whereas “Post-Internet" artists (from what I understood) create work that is more gallery based. 

I can’t possibly detail everything that was discussed in this talk and its Q&A portion, but further topics/key-words/ideas worth noting are hyper-materiality, post-medium, the new aesthetic, branding, and “Post-Internet” as a condition

Hopefully I have enticed you to take a listen! While the talk moves rather quickly, I definitely acquired new knowledge and gained some curiosity about broader topics that I plan to explore further.

[globalizationnerd]

I happened to stumble upon photos of these “masks” while I was on Instagram. Not a super reputable academic source, i know, but something really struck me about these masks. Not only are they gold lustered ceramic (kind of my weakness) they had a distinct tribal feel to them. I assumed that they were some kind of commentary on indigeounus peoples or something of the sort, some kind of exploritory art making indevour. But they weren’t. No, they were created purly as a decrative piece to be purchased, purely a commoditiy. I tried to find more information. Created by an Italian ceramics company, Bosa Ceramiche for Hayon designs. A self proclaimed “artist-designer” on his web page, while also talking about blurring the lines between art and design. I can’t say that i know enough about design (or art, really) to justify calling Hayon out on his intentions. These masks, like i said earlier, initially stuck me as being related to a commentary on indigiounous people. But instead they are mask created to represent “imaginary” animal-human hybrids. Maybe i’m just jumping the gun but i find these pieces extreamly offensive, to utlaize the medium of masks, that are many times very culturally significant to the groups of people that would utalize them, and just make up your own “imaginary” mask representations of entities that don’t even exist. Purely in the name of putting stuff on your wall. Oh, and money of course. Is this just me? Is this something I’m reading completely too much into?

[goodghoulz]

It took me quite a while to find any information on these masks and Hayon's intentions, and I believe this is due to the fact that they are meant as ornaments for the home. I feel as though because they are suppose to exist as elements of interior design, the justification for their references are lacking. This brings up an interesting conversation about the line between art and decoration, which I found is actually very relevant to Hayon himself. For example, the "about" on his website states that “His vision blurrs the lines between art, decoration and design bringing back a renaissance in finely-crafted, intricate objects within the context of contemporary design culture (hayonstudio.com).” I’m intrigued by this notion of viewing art as a relevant and functional element of the home; however, upon (finally) shedding some light on his thought behind the masks, I was a little let down by his artistic intentions. As the above post states, I found that the decorative ceramic masks are supposed to be imaginary animal characters. Hayon claims that “they are unique elements that transport us to a distant place, they remind me of Africa, tribes, their imagination and magic. Living cultures that have impressed me and I wanted to reinterpret their spirit with my vision…(bosatrade.com).” This statement makes me a little uneasy; the masks feel very reminiscent of “world art” and the appropriation of culturally significant items as decoration, without much acknowledgement of their usage/importance/origin. Although I don’t believe Hayon’s intentions are bad ones, it appears that he meant for them to read as “tribal”, and I wonder whether he is aware of the reference he is making (or at least that I am reading) in his production of decorative art objects that are traditionally symbolic and utilized in ways of cultural importance?

http://www.bosatrade.com/en/Collections/furnishing/maskhayon-glossy-white-and-glossy-gold-216.html

http://www.hayonstudio.com/

[goodghoulz]

In the spirit of thinking about online activism, I would like to share an organization called Change.org. This website hosts open platform petitions, meaning that anyone can use the site and create a petition regardless of who they are. Founded in 2007, Change.org is an online platform for people around the globe to create petitions on issues they are passionate about with the hopes that others who feel the same will contribute to their cause, and ultimately create change. Their model claims they are a business for social good, maintaining no position of their own on any particular matter represented on the site. Change.org is a non-profit organization, as well as a certified B Corporation. From my understanding, anyone can start a petition and share it on other social media platforms, and can elect to pay to advertise a campaign through promotion or sponsorship. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Can anyone really post anything? The answer is no. Change.org supplies a whole list of guidelines to the types of petitions that can be produced, such as limits against hate, violence, discrimination, harassment, spamming, pornography, graphic imagery, etc. Besides these necessary restrictions, the organization acknowledges that there will be differing opinions and sees “openness as a sign of strength and a core part of building a world where creating change is a part of everyday life (change.org).” Upon browsing the site you’ll find a list of categories to explore, as well as a search bar to look at topics like ART, and find petitions such as, "Appoint Kanye West to Curate the 2015 Venice Biennial". Typically, I would be skeptical of petitions about practically anything by anyone, however, the site makes it easy to investigate the issue, some providing more support/evidence than others. I do think that this organization serves as a great example of the processes of globalization in action; from their highly diverse team, employed in various countries across the globe, to the accessibility of topics of interest/relevance and the ability to participate and engage with them from your home. While online activism can be passive, Change.org seems to be a reliable source of successful campaigns that extend to a global audience.

[emchughes]

This is far and away the most popular thing I’ve ever tweeted, and the responses I’ve been getting have been making me heartsick. The events in Santa Barbara yesterday were beyond horrifying and I’m not even capable of forming coherent thoughts about the ramifications, but if we’re going to take one positive thing away from this, I hope it’s that men listen, even if just for a day, to the innate fear that women live with every moment.

[maryvest]

I wanted to write about the idea of ‘hashtag activism’ today, especially in light of the events Friday in Santa Barbara. I have looked into this idea for other classes, and we discussed the use of internet in relation to Brian Holmes’ “Do-It-Yourself Geopolitics” within activist groups. While this idea doesn’t necessarily always pertain to art, I think the use of internet within activist groups and social movements is a recent phenomena that has gained importance as social media platforms grow and expand around the world.  I’ve also noticed an increasing amount of hashtag activism lately in the realm that I pay most attention to - which is within the movement to end sexual violence. the BringBackOurGirls hashtag a few weeks ago was immensely popular in response to the 270 Nigerian girls who were kidnapped, and just this weekend the hashtag #YesAllWomen emerged in response to the tragedy in Santa Barbara by Elliot Rodger - illuminating the fact that ALL women have experienced some form of misogyny in their lives - often in ways that people may underestimate - in the hopes that within this tragedy, a dialogue about the misogyny that played a large role in the reasons behind the killing spree that happened Friday in Santa Barbara.  Hashtag activism is an intriguing idea to me - as it allows people all over the globe to be involved in a movement via the internet - but also asks for very little action to take place. Occupy was a movement that utilized hashtags and other applications of social media platforms on twitter and Facebook to organize actions and mobilize people around the world to participate in whatever ways possible. This particular form of activism has huge potential power - especially since people who might not otherwise be able to be involved in a movement can participate in new ways.  The Yes All Women hashtag emerged over the weekend, but has already gained large popularity, and I think is an important way to united people on a topic that affects us all. To me, this is where the power of hashtag activism lies. While it can also lead to people falsely feeling that using a hashtag means they are creating actual change in a way that physically being present at actions provides - it does the ability to create new communities and support that wasn’t possible prior to these innovations. 

http://time.com/114043/yesallwomen-hashtag-santa-barbara-shooting/

[goodghoulz]

In response to the previous post, I want to reiterate the idea of the potential power of hashtag activism and the ability for individuals across the globe to participate in new ways. The interconnectedness provided by social media means the exposure of said issues to individuals who may not be aware the problem exists. Outside of this globalization/art history blog, I have stumbled upon #yesallwomen on my dashboard, and after searching the hashtag on Tumblr alone, have found two blogs (yes-all-women.tumblr.com and yes-allwomen.tumblr.com) in response to the tweet made by Emily Hughes just days ago, asking women to share their stories in the hopes of bringing awareness of the problematic. As previously stated, this serves as just one example of the power of not only hashtag activism, but the speedy dissemination within the realm of social media and the impact of one voice in the grand scale of the globalized world. Granted, such modes of protest are indirect and not always the most effective, some action can be seen as better than none. An example from The New York Time's David Carr discusses the impact and effectiveness of online petitioning in the rating process of the movie Bully (2011). The documentary, which highlights bullying in schools across the US, was initially given an R rating; however, an online petition signed by over 460,000 people eventually changed the rating to PG-13 so that kids most effected by these issues would be able to access the film. Petition platforms like Change.org make online activism possible in a way that may be more effective than simply "liking" something on Facebook, which, as the author of The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom puts it, may be used "to impress their online friends, and once you have fashioned that identity, there is very little reason to actually do anything else (nytimes.com).” While this argument is valid, I think that the potential of online/hashtag activism is growing, and at the very least serves to disseminate thoughts, ideas, information and bring problems to light in an accessible way, encouraging participation and engagement. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/business/media/hashtag-activism-and-its-limits.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.change.org/about

[hyperallergic]

Protesters Stage Intervention at Guggenheim’s Futurist Exhibition

Last night’s protest action at New York’s Guggenheim Museum by the Gulf Ultra Luxury Faction (G.U.L.F.) is the group’s fourth intervention and the latest to raise awareness about the labor conditions on Saadiyat Island in the United Arab Emirates. The group attempted to unfurl a banner in the atrium of the Upper East Side museum, while other members browsing the Futurist art exhibition taped up Futurist-inspired graphics with messages targeting museum trustees and other labor-related messages, including “No Museum Built on Death” and “Chairman Mack, No Time to Waste.” A number of G.U.L.F. protesters also distributed flyers to museum visitors with a statement from G.U.L.F.

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[goodghoulz]

On May 24, 2014, the activist group G.U.L.F. (Gulf Ultra Luxury Faction) performed their fourth protest at the Guggenheim Museum during the Futurist Exhibition as an attempt to bring awareness to the poor working conditions of migrant workers on Saadiyat Island, on which the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be built. During this specific protest, activists occupied the museum on the weekly pay-what-you-wish night, and posted graphics relaying their labor rights message next to various works in the exhibition (using non-damaging adhesive, of course). Other such protests made by G.U.L.F. took the form of an intervention in February, a projection onto the exterior the museum in March, and a flood of fake currency down the rotunda later that month. Along with these protests, social media has played a large role in the dissemination of their cause, especially through coverage reporting on said events. Since 2011 the activist group has been campaigning to “ensure that migrant worker rights are protected during the construction and maintenance of museums on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE (gulflabor.org).” Although Guggenheim has planned to open its doors in the United Arab Emirates, aiming to be more global, G.U.L.F. urges the institution to be more ethically aware of the conditions in which their establishment is built, so no artist is expected to show their work “on the backs of abused workers demanding dignity and reform”, says the statement released from the group. In conjunction with labor issues on the NYU Abu Dhabi campus, students at NYU in the states have taken interest in these issues and hope to spread awareness so that every campus "be treated equally as part of the university administration’s interest in creating a 'global networked university' (hyperallergic.com).” I find the concern and action of these activists and students to be very inspiring as they care for the welfare of workers across the globe and strive to produce a level of transparency in the administration, as well as work to improve established art institutions.

http://gulflabor.org/

[hyperallergic]

Documenting Indigenous Americans

[goodghoulz]

hyperallergic:

Duncan Dancers of the Tulalip tribe (all photographs by Matika Wilbur unless otherwise noted)

LOS ANGELES — Between the years 1907 and 1930, Edward Sheriff Curtis published The North American Indian, a record of traditional Indian cultures in the United States and Canada. Curtis’ book, a landmark historical document with a foreword by Theodore Roosevelt, has been digitized and his photographs are…

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“Most of Western culture has no real sense of contemporary Indian culture or that it even exists,” says Wilbur. “For me, then my work became about education (hyperallergic.com).”

The above quote comes from photographer Matika Wilbur, who, upon wondering when someone would update the photographic vision of Indigenous Americans, decided to travel across the country to document the 562 federally recognized tribes. Hyperallergenic’s Alicia Eler uses Edward Sherriff Curtis’ book The North American Indian as a point of reference when discussing Wilbur’s work. Published between the years 1907 and 1930, his catalog was considered a “landmark historical document with a foreword by Theodore Roosevelt (hyperallergic.com).” However, it has become clear that Curtis took many liberties in his depiction of Indigenous Americans, manipulating the setting to exclude signs of modernity and using costumes to enforce his idea of “Indianess”. As a member of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes herself, Wilbur refreshes the image of tribes across the country by photographing her subjects in their indigenous territory rather than where their reservation is located, with some dressed in traditional clothing and others in a more contemporary setting. She also takes oil paint to her images, coloring specific areas in order to produce the feeling of an old-fashioned photograph. These images address topics of stereotyping and ethnocentrism, especially through her subversion of previous ethnographic depictions. Wilbur’s work is relevant to our discussions of these topics as constructions of colonization, as well as the social activism that takes place through travel and the honest exposure of cultures outside of the center.

http://hyperallergic.com/115528/documenting-indigenous-american-indians/

[hyperallergic]

Venezuelans Protest Tyranny With Performance Art and Nude Selfies

A man holds a sign that reads “De niño eran mis héroes. Ahora me reprimen.” (“As a child they were my heroes, now they repress me” (Screengrab via Twitter)

A young man stands on a sidewalk in Caracas, Venezuela holding a sign that reads, “De niño eran mis héroes. Ahora me reprimen.” (“As a child they were my heroes, now they repress me”). Surrounding him, young men and women dressed in combat…

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[goodghoulz]

Since February of this year, students throughout Venezuela have taken the Nation by storm in their protests and demonstrations fighting against food shortages, poverty, and elevated crime, among other issues.  Since the protests have begun, violent clashes with the police have been persistent, with 39 casualties and hundreds injured. In reaction to these events, students from the National Experimental Art University have formed a group called Resistencia Une Arte, and along with the movement Protesta Creativa, use performance and guerilla art in the fight for change, with social media as a platform in exposing their message to a global audience. The above image serves as one example of such performances in which anti-government sentiment is expressed, with a sign that reads “As a child they were my heroes, now they repress me”. While painting murals seems a more peaceful and non-violent method of resistance, these students are “braving risk and insult to cover walls and buildings with anti-government slogans and pleas for change (hyperallergic.com).” Furthermore, activists have employed the use of social media in their campaign, despite the fact that the government has blocked many portions of the Internet. Specifically, they have called for a nude selfie campaign on Twitter as an act of solidarity after one student activist in Caracas was stripped naked by the police (hyperallergic.com). I find these student’s use of art as a venue to express discontent with their government not only powerful, but an effective use of interconnectivity through social media to disseminate their message.

For more information on the crisis in Venezuela, CNN provides a Q&A synopsis of the events at http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/20/world/americas/venezuela-qa/

http://hyperallergic.com/120475/venezuelans-protest-tyranny-with-performance-art-and-nude-selfies/