Dedicated to clever and innovative trends of art and design in activism.

As I’m working on a poster for the Just Seeds Celebrate People’s History poster project, I’m finding more inspiration in the roots of creative activism.  This July 12 marked Pablo Neruda’s 104th birthday, and although he passed away in 1973, it remains a worthy cause for celebration.  Below is a video by 4SeasonsProductions, a montage that features an English translation of Neruda’s “Standard Oil Co.”

Of Standard Oil, one of the most remembered corporations of the robber baron era, Neruda wrote:

They buy countries, people, seas, police, county councils,
distant regions where the poor hoard their corn
like misers their gold:
Standard Oil awakens them,
clothes them in uniforms, designates
which brother is the enemy.
the Paraguayan fights its war,
and the Bolivian wastes away
in the jungle with its machine gun.

Via

No comments

OpenSourceCinema.org has organized the Copyright Criminals project, now a few months old, to satirize the criminalization of everyday acts.  By asking individuals (who generally don’t identify with criminality) to photograph themselves in the style of a mug shot, they aim to portray the intellectual property regime as an invasive, authoritarian, yet outmoded force.

No comments

The documentary film Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan features testimony from U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground.  It is currently being screened by chapters of Iraq Veterans Against the War around the country.

The film covers the original four-day event, which brought together veterans from across the country to testify in Washington D.C. about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan - and present video and photographic evidence.  In addition, panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists gave context to the testimony.  These panels covered everything from the history of the GI resistance movement to the fight for veterans’ health benefits and support.

Our local IVAW chapter, in conjunction with other Massachusetts-based peace action groups, is screening Winter Soldier at the Cambridge Friends Meeting House [Google map] at 7:00PM on Wednesday, July 16.  Hope to see you there!

2 comments

Today’s broadcast of DemocracyNOW includes an interview with Anna Deavere Smith:

Anna Deavere Smith has been hailed as the most exciting individual in American theater. She has won numerous awards including two Obies, several Tony nominations, and a MacArthur genius grant. She is best known for two plays examining race relations, “Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and Other Identities” and “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.” Her latest solo show is called “Let Me Down Easy.”

The talk includes her thoughts on art, resistance, authenticity, and reaching new ears.  Check out the interview here.

No comments

ScribeMedia.org brings us this excellent docu-short on the current exhibit Honeyspace, which raises awareness about the Juarez, Mexico, femicides:

No comments