gatt

Check out GATT as an example of what the yesmen have done to display their critique or unethical organizations like the WTO. Compare with the actual WTO website. Some of the colors have changed, but things are similar. It’s essentially a ground-up rebuilding and fully functional site.

I just want to capture and deface already existing web images.

~J

Tactical Media

One of my favorite things about art (as I’ve mentioned before) is the whole activist and protest style of things. I love the way you can make a statement with graphics — it really shows that as an artist (and a person) that you’re really stellar at (or exceptionally lucky at) producing something that really connects with people.

Now, part of me doesn’t really care at all whether it’s some form of social or political protest, advocacy activism, or simply trying to make people uncomfortable, but I tend to like it all. Or at least I like the idea of doing it all. So when I heard about tactical media, I was super excited. Info about it Here at Wikipedia.

It’s been compared to culture jamming which, aside from also sounding particularly cool, is based upon the principle of trying to either steal or inhabit space normally occupied by mass media — you know, jam culture transmissions. Rad.

Wikipedia (which is never wrong) says that a slogan often adopted by tactical media participants and activists is “don’t hate the media, become the media.” So what we’re now talking about is essentially being the media for subversive purposes. Daddy like. I work in media, I should be able to figure this out. I desperately want to abandon my original project idea, especially after doing some research about subversive/alternative/activist/tactical media. I really love the idea of culture jamming if for no other reason than, if on a minute scale, it makes it harder for establishment to tell people what to do. I hate it when establishment tells me what to do if for no other reason than I question their motives. In some sense, and in some cases I suppose my motives and their motives could be similar or even identical — but at least mine are mine.

So that being said, I really love the idea of abandoning my project and trying to figure out how best to venture into a world of tactical media to cause disruption. I suppose for this I need to venture into the world of The YesMen. I’ll try not to copy them, or step on the toes of others in the class venturing on the same lines…but to me that seems right now to be my best option.

~J