Sustains (change) – Actipedia | A Wiki for Creative Activism

Exploring Silence and Connection: Marina Abramović’s ‘The Artist Is Present’ Unveiled

Date:
Apr 28 1991

Marina Abramović is the synonym for performance art. Throughout their career, she has constantly pushed her way through endurance art and further pushed the boundaries of the artist’s role in the audience. One of the most compelling and exciting works…

Raise Your Umbrellas: How Denise Ho went from Cantopop queen to pro-democracy activist

Practitioner:
Denise Ho

Date:
Apr 28 1991

In Hong Kong in 2014 the song Raise Your Umbrella by Denise Ho and Anthong Wong became an anthem for the pro-democracy movement known as the Umbrella Revolution. The song was written after police fired tear gas into the crowds…

Marcela Cantuária: The South American Dream

Practitioner:
Marcela Cantuária

Date:
Apr 28 1991

The work of Marcela Cantuária (b. 1991, Rio de Janeiro; lives in Rio de Janeiro) often portrays female figures who navigate regional, international, and social boundaries. Often highlighting symbols from tarot and astrology as well as themes that reflect political…

Beili Liu’s ‘The Mending Project’: Weaving Connections in a World Frayed by Time and Culture

Practitioner:
Beili Liu

Date:
Apr 28 1991

In the broad context of the modern world of art, the work of Beili Liu has always seemed extraordinary in visual terms and deeply profound in thematic development. Born in China and living in the United States, much of her…

Four Dead in Ohio

Practitioner:
Neil Young, Students at Kent State University

Date:
Apr 28 1991

“Tin Soldiers and Nixon’s Coming. We’re finally on our own. This summer I hear the drumming. Four Dead in Ohio.” Inspired by the events that unfolded on the campus of Kent State University on May 4, 1970, the folk-rock group…

“Stand Up, Sisters (《姐姐妹妹站起来》)”: The Miserable Past of Chinese Prostitutes

Practitioner:
Xihe Chen (陈西禾)

Date:
Apr 28 1991

“Stand Up, Sisters” tells the story of a rural girl who journeys to Beijing for a family visit, only to be deceived and forced into prostitution, suffering unthinkable hardships. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, these women…

Echoes of Defiance: Xiao Lu and the Impact of ‘Dialogue’ on Art and Society

Practitioner:
Xiao Lu

Date:
Apr 28 1991

Xiao Lu was one of the most influential women in contemporary Chinese art, better known for provoking performance art works and sharp social commentaries. Her works address sensitive social and cultural issues that counter mainstream attitudes and values. In 1989,…

Art as a Mirror: Zhang Huan’s ‘Family Tree’ and Its Reflections on Cultural Identity

Practitioner:
Zhang Huan

Date:
Apr 28 1991

One of the most critical artists on the contemporary art scene is Zhang Huan. His works are of great social insight and unique in how he applies his artistic expression. He thus makes them an almost visual feast with a…

The artist behind ‘Fearless Girl’ wants to spread her message far and wide. A lawsuit is getting in the way

Practitioner:
CNN, Kristen Visbal

Date:
Apr 28 1991

CNN — Five years after first appearing on the cobblestones of Wall Street, the “Fearless Girl” statue – a petite but controversial symbol for gender equality – is taking on a new digital form. To mark International Women’s Day next…

China urges Japan to treat “comfort women” issue in honest, responsible manner

Practitioner:
Xinhua Net

Date:
Apr 28 1991

Photo taken on Oct. 15, 2020 shows a “comfort women” statue in Berlin, capital of Germany. The statue was built to commemorate the more than 200,000 girls and women from 14 countries and regions, so-called “comfort women,” who were sexually…

Subway Therapy

Practitioner:
Matthew Chavez

Date:
Apr 28 1991

Matthew “Levee” Chavez sits at a table in New York City’s Union Square, sporting a thrift store suit and tie, holding a sign that reads “Subway Therapy.” This act of social practice, which started as an invitation for conversation, went…

“For People, Food is the First Necessity: Qiu Zhijie’s Writing in a Market”

Practitioner:
Zhijie Qiu

Date:
Apr 28 1991

During the public vacation of May Day, also called International Workers’ Day, “For People, Food is the First Necessity: Qiu Zhijie’s Writing in a Market” was launched at the crowded Sanyuanli market in Beijing. The exhibition successfully aroused the enthusiasm…