Dedicated to critical cultural production at the intersection of art and activism.

Benoit Aquin’s Camion En Feu (Truck on Fire), from the series The Chinese Dust Bowl (2006-2009)

From our friend Alexis Desgagnés comes word of tonight’s opening of Benoit Aquin’s The Chinese Dust Bowl at VU Photo in Quebec City:

The images in this series, which were produced between 2006 and 2009 in the course of the photographer’s journeys along the legendary Silk Road and which show the effects of desertification on arable lands as the result of human activity, range from desert landscapes to environmental refugees to boom towns covered in sand in an almost apocalyptic universe, both magnificent and frightful.

The Chinese Dust Bowl is on from September 4 to October 4, 2009 at VU Photo (550 Côte d’Abraham, Quebec City) and the free show is open Wednesdays to Sundays 12:00PM to 5:00PM.

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Dulce Pinzón’s Catwoman is Minerva Valencia from Puebla, who works as a nanny in New York and sends back $400 per week.

Heroism was elevated in the national consciousness to new levels after 9/11, and themes of self-sacrifice were made all the more important in the media, as police, fire fighters, and (after the attack) members of the military gave life and labor over to their service.  Dulce Pinzón’s Superheroes gives immigrant workers in New York City the same limelight, for their toils in “less spectacular” settings.

The Mexican immigrant worker in New York is a perfect example of the hero who has gone unnoticed. It is common for a Mexican worker in New York to work extraordinary hours in extreme conditions for very low wages which are saved at great cost and sacrifice and sent to families and communities in Mexico who rely on them to survive. . .  The principal objective of this series is to pay homage to these brave and determined men and women that somehow manage, without the help of any supernatural power, to withstand extreme conditions of labor in order to help their families and communities survive and prosper.

Twenty color photographs document the immigrants in their workplaces, dressed in the garb of a popular American or Mexican superhero(ine).  Their name, and hometown, are published alongside the number of years they’ve lived in NYC, and how much money they send back to Mexico weekly.

Pinzón’s work is currently on display at the Cervantes Institute. [es]

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Yesterday, Another Limited Rebellion took us for a trip down (Bad) Memory Lane, sharing Sticker Guy’s commemorative Flickr collection of sticker art protesting Bush.

Are there others?

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The Canary Project produces visual media, events, and artwork that builds public understanding of human-induced climate change and energize commitment to solutions.  Their strategy includes a mix of education and action, as they work to:

• Visualize global warming in compelling ways that leverage data and communicate a sense of urgency.
• Integrate the tools of art with those of science, education, mass communication and other disciplines that enhance our ability to engage diverse audiences.
• Investigate questions lying at the root of our current ecological crisis and provoke reflection on those questions.
• Cultivate media attention to further inform a broad public and to create excitement around the issue.
• Distribute information on concrete actions people can take to cut carbon emissions and lead people to take more action.

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Greg Cook captured the HONK! Festival parade in photographs.  Above, Rude Mechanical Orchestra, below, Boston’s chapter of Bikes Not Bombs.  Much more to come!

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