Community – Page 5 – Actipedia | A Wiki for Creative Activism

Ringgold’s art – a visual symphony that harmonizes activism

Date:
Jan 1 1997

Faith Ringgold is a successful painter, sculptor, mixed-media artist, author, feminist, and political activist. She is particularly known for her narrative quilts, as she explores identity, race, family ties, as well as cultural and political topics through her many different…

“Faces and Phases”- a catalyst for a more inclusive and accepting world

Practitioner:
Zanele Muholi

Date:
Jan 1 1997

Step into the captivating world of Zanele Muholi, the activist and masterful photographer from South Africa. Through their lens, they unveil the realities found within LGBTQI+ stories, challenging norms and reshaping perceptions of beauty. Each intimate and evocative portrait captured…

Visual Sovereignty: Unpacking Nicholas Galanin’s ‘Never Forget’ Installation

Practitioner:
Nicholas Galanin

Date:
Jan 1 1997

For Nicholas Galanin, a Tlingit and Unangax̂ artist and musician, memory and land are inevitably entwined. The 45-foot letters of Never Forget reference the Hollywood sign, which initially spelled out HOLLYWOODLAND and was erected to promote a whites-only development. Its…

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Snake

Practitioner:
Natalie Ball

Date:
Jan 1 1997

Natalie Ball’s work challenges dominant stories of Native American identities, taking to task the historical and visual legacies that misrepresent what it means to be “Indian.” She dives deeply into Indigenous histories and forms of knowledge, the use of language,…

Repellent Fence: Art, Activism, and the U.S.-Mexico Border

Practitioner:
Postcommodity

Date:
Jan 1 1997

The Repellent Fence is a social collaborative project among individuals, communities, institutional organizations, publics, and sovereigns that culminate with the establishment of a large-scale temporary monument located near Douglas, Arizona and Agua Prieta, Sonora. This 2 mile long ephemeral land-art…

Shielding Justice: Cannupa Hanska Luger’s Artistic Activism and Beyond

Practitioner:
Cannupa Hanska Luger

Date:
Jan 1 1997

This protest installation was first used in 2016 at Standing Rock when the community banded together to protect the Missouri River from a Dakota Access Pipeline. The mirror shields can protect against non-lethal deterrents like rubber bullets that may be…

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

Practitioner:
Denise Ho

Date:
Jan 1 1997

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…

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

Practitioner:
Xiao Lu

Date:
Jan 1 1997

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:
Jan 1 1997

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…

Subway Therapy

Practitioner:
Matthew Chavez

Date:
Jan 1 1997

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…