Marcel Duchamp made this piece during the dada movement.

This piece was part of his readymade series within his readymade series a collection of ordinary, manufactured objects not commonly associated with art.

This series focus on ‘non sensical’ objects chosen on the basis of ‘visual indifference’

To me this series of art work , represent the banality and originality of everyday objects. Bringing awareness to the aspect of ‘function’ seen in objects.

 

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Flexus

Beuys’s was a conceptual artist from the 1960’S flexus movement.

His work was extremely diverse ranging from traditional media of drawing, painting, and sculpture. Much of it was emphereal art from the 1950s through the early 1980s, Beuys art demonstrated how art might originate in personal experience yet also address universal artistic, political, and/or social ideas.

To process-oriented, or time-based “action” art, the performance of which suggested how art may exercise a healing effect (on both the artist and the audience) when it takes up psychological, social, and/or political subjects. Beuys is especially famous for works incorporating animal fat and felt, two common materials – one organic, the other fabricated, or industrial – that had profound personal meaning to the artist.

His 1965 solo performance, How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare.

Edward Bernays sigmund Freuds cousin know as the ‘the father of public relations’.

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. …We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. …In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons…who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”

I would like to adress the concept of how all media is in a way ‘activism’ for the economy. Wether those partaking are conscious of the form of activism or not.

Also exploring perhaps the unconscious manipulation of the media. Finding artist whom adress this issue. I would say movements such as the dada adress such an issue.

I would say all media is a form of activism

Wether its a high fashion magazine to and newspaper

All are advocating and bringing awareness to the naked eye something they believe in .

Some aware of such manipulation others not.

For example Edward Bernays other wise known as the father of public relations was fully aware of the manipulations we was undergoing. He achieved his goal manipulating the minds of the Masses. In a way he started a trend. A tend that will not go out of fashion ‘unfortunately’ for some.

He changed the media into something purely ….. manipulative. With all intentions to manipulate.

You could argue that those now working in the industry are not aware of the manipulation there undergoing so in some way it can’t be labeld as activism without the intent to make a change. And I find this a intersting point.

Im interested in artist that bring awareness to this topic.

 

Sunflower seeds to Ai wei wei are a gesture of human compassion as well as providing space for kindness pleasure and friendship during a time of poverty.
The sunflower seed to Ai wei wei carry to him close relationships with the cultural revolution 1966-76 While individuals were stripped of personal freedom. And propaganda images depicted  Mao as the sun and the mass of people as sunflowers turning towards him.
The piece consists of 100 million porcelian replicas of a sunflower seed each uniquely crafted. Covering of 1000 square meters.
‘I always think of art as a tool to really set up new questions to create a basic structure which can be open to posibilities’