Art Activism can be considered a wide range of media and issues. The Authors Duncombe and Lambert go on to expose the reader to different types of art and media that people had created in order to protest the issues within their country. They explain how demonstrations such as the TV and the water fountain gained attention and awareness to those who were segregated and couldn't have the same opportunities as others. It forces you to watch protests about civil rights and equality while making you think back to a time that people could've been in the same position if the change was not fought for. Another Activist utilized News Media to inform others about political information but instead of regular news format they used rap and music to connect to the younger crowd. With the "War on Smog" in China, the activist organized a parade to protest the government and their lack of action when it came to the people's quality of life. This shows that Activism Art can be anything, it can be a poster or it can be a grand performance as long as it connects people to the experiences that they also can relate to and call out the issues that are ongoing. Art Activism just has to invoke change and create motivation for a movement by the community to occur.
It is a dynamic hybrid of art and activism, which can be a shifting point on the line between the poles of affect and effect. It is the form of art that addresses political or social issues that wants to create social change.
Journal Rappé
This Art Activism was started by Cheikh Keyti Sene and Makhtar Xuman inspired by Y'en a Marre who had started the rap-infused youth movement in Senegal in 2011. They made a twist on the idea of rap and activism by featuring the rap on a news program that would target the attention of youth's as political-talk was ignored by many due to the corrupted government. The youth made up 60% of the population and they provided them with a long form investigated report in rap form which included the current news. It created a spark of movement which spread to other countries in West Africa, East Africa and even Vietnam.
This is a piece of Art Activism because they used a creative media that pulls the community to become aware of what is happening around them. The community would avoid all things government related due to the abuse of power and corruption that filled the government but Keyti and Xuman still targeted the community to push awareness and hopefully as people become more educated of the social and political injustices within their country, it will incline them to ask "what can I do?"
2 Quotes:
"The mayor told him that the citizens of the town, for the first time ever, had petitioned the town government to request something themselves: that a permanent museum be built and they wanted Jarr to be the architect."
I think this was a powerful movement, Alfredo Jarr made the people of Skoghall, Sweden feel special by allowing them to bring art and look at each others art. After this, he burns the museum to the ground which invoke emotions of anger and frustration within the city. However, these people realized they shouldn't be upset with Jarr but rather petition and request for a new museum to be built. This shows how Art Activism has to be personal and show people what are missing or should already have as a community and pushes them to change the world around them.
"Mike Cantrell said. “But, to force people to wait forty-five seconds to get a drink, you basically make that water fountain inoperable.” “I think it’s OK to wait forty-five seconds for water,” fellow Commissioner John Wiley Price said. “Some of us have waited forty-five years and longer.”"
This was a funny quote to insert, they show the different perspectives when it came to the political art of Lauren Woods and her Water Fountain Activism. I think that in order to create awareness, sometimes the viewer shouldn't have a choice in what the performance or act is. If it was just a TV screen and no fountain, then no one would watch it. However, since the fountain and TV are connected and you are forced to watch a video for 40 seconds, it makes people realize that in order for everyone to use one fountain instead of segregated fountains, protesters were fighting for this convenience and equality.
No comments:
Post a Comment