political art & cultural policy
A contemporary art exhibit at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines has been shut down amid accusations that the work is “blasphemous”. According to a statement, CCP management closed the controversial Kulo exhibition after board members and artists received numerous threats.
This new Banksy work plays on the ongoing News Corporation phone hacking scandal.
Have you discovered any other artwork related to Murdochgate? Tell us in the comments below.
Via REBEL:ART.
Approached by the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe to produce a public work for their event, South African designer Heath Nash built shade structures using scrap materials — largely discarded beverage containers.
The art of social cartography
From a 1981 newspaper after Operation Soap, a police raid on Toronto bathhouses
A new mapping project by Julia Hoecke,Fran Schechter and Susan G. Cole (at Now Magazine) has compiled a fascinating collection of cultural, political, and social spots relevant to the LBGT present and past in the Toronto area.
Maps can transform and, in their own way, create knowledge — new juxtapositions, new proximities, new inclusions and exclusions. They are as much art as science, and Mapping Queer Toronto renders visible a vibrant LBGT community in spatial terms and in time. From the website:
The LGBT community’s roots run deep into the city’s history. We’ve charted the sites where essential events took place and the locations of key organizations that still thrive. This is not a survey of queer bars and clubs. Not every gay organization is here – we couldn’t include those without a permanent address, for example – and it doesn’t record every moment that changed the landscape. But it does represent the power of Toronto’s LGBT history and the strength and influence of present-day queerdom.
New book looks at reconciliation by way of cultural diversity
The seasonal practice of burying heads deep into the folds of books is upon us. OK, some of us are burying ourselves in digital devices too, but the point is it’s that time of year when benches, yards, parks and every shady outdoor perch are full of people engaged in the ancient ritual of reading. While dividing my own summer reading unevenly between academic tomes, graphic novels, and narrative prose, I recently happened upon a marvellous book that defies categorization and dare I say, could prove to be the most exhilarating, difficult and enjoyable summer read out of all the others waiting to be loved from among the teetering stacks.
The book is the 453-page collection of creative writing, essays, photography and art called Cultivating Canada: Reconciliation through the lens of Cultural Diversity and there are three things you should know about this door-stopper before proceeding. Number one: It is a diverse creative explosion barely contained between two covers that bracket an intensely inspired and productive conversation about the many intersecting lines of oppression, reconciliation, history, memory and hope. Number two: It is a compendium to the physical, political, cultural and imaginary entity known as Canada, but should be of interest to anyone with an interest in culture, history and communication. Number three: It is a gift from the Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF) to you. That’s right the best read you may come across this summer is free.
Michael Caines' depictions of US leaders are sincere yet ridiculous
Karl Rove is a baby. Or, at least the Karl Rove of Michael Caines’ art collection Perfect Happiness is. In one painting Rove’s bulbous forehead peeks out from under a bonnet, while a smiling Ronald Reagan, depicted in a blue frock and enormous hat, holds on to Rove’s tiny body like a proud mother.
“I think black comedy is my territory,” said Caines, a Toronto native now based in Brooklyn. “These are serious and intense paintings, but hopefully funny to look at. I’m definitely playing, and doing something a bit naughty.”
Rove, the Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff under President George W. Bush, is also depicted as a version of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz in another of Caines’ paintings. He wears the signature blue dress and red shoes, but walks with a deer in the scene from Jean-Honord Fragonard’s 17th century painting, “The Swing.” The head is distinctly Rove’s, only the corners of his mouth are droopy and his facial features cinched close together in the center of his face as though he’s about to cry. His political power has been stripped — he’s in Caines’ world now.
Explore the West Bank perimeter through Mark Thomas' gonzo rambling and Francis Alÿs' action painting
Extreme Rambling with Mark Thomas, Tricycle Theatre, London, UK, May 16th – 28th, 2011
Extreme Rambling: Walking Israel’s Barrier for Fun, Mark Thomas, Ebury Press
A Story of Deception, Francis Alÿs, MOMA, New York, May – August, 2011
Orientalists from the North Atlantic community (those of us in Western Europe and North America who have an interest in the East that is filtered through the prism of Judeo-Christian culture), are likely to view events in North Africa and the Middle East with mixed feelings, exacerbated, it has to be said (not-with-standing current “Hooray-USA” euphoria), by the extra-judicial execution of Osama Bin Laden.
Interview with Floodlines author Jordan Flaherty
Over five years since the catastrophe of hurricane Katrina, communities in New Orleans are still struggling to rebuild and return. Shocking images of Katrina broadcast globally continue to communicate the growing economic, social and racial fault lines in America. Beyond the headlines, community organizing and resistance to post-Katrina economic shock treatment of key public institutions, including the school systems and public housing, have drawn battle-lines illustrating broader contemporary struggles against hyper-capitalism.
On culture, artists in New Orleans are playing a critically important role in building a culture of community resistance for key political struggles, while creative, dynamic sounds and boundary challenging artistic practices — which have made New Orleans famous for the arts — continue to shape the front lines of contemporary culture in North America.
Center for Urban Pedagogy's latest poster tackles redistricting
Last week’s federal election was a stark reminder to many urbanites here in Saskatchewan how the shape of an electoral district can have a significant impact on election results.
The province’s cities are carved up into pieces, each of which is lumped into a district dominated by wide swaths of rural prairie. The end result is that comparatively progressive urban voters end up being (mis)represented by social conservatives, generating a fair amount of resentment for both the electoral system and their rural counterparts.
Konstantin Dimopolous’s blue trees are in bloom in Port Moody! Well, they were last week at least. Luckily, Kate Barron from Vancouver Biennale got pictures of these bright blue and passive pink beauties. Kon’s electric blue trees are a reminder that plants are the world’s lungs, a vital organ that too often goes unloved. But really, how can you not just absolutely adore these?
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