Acts of Resistance: Activists, Interlopers and Pranksters SP 2019

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Namra Arshad

Acts of Resistance: Activist, Interlopers, and pranksters

Professor Cacoilo

“Complaint” and project connection

My semester project relates to women of color and their role in STEM. My project reflects on life of those women who gave their life for the betterment of science but were never recognized in society. Raising the questions of gender equality in these careers known to be “masculine.” This inequality raises questions for young girls when they are deciding their career choices and mostly are recommended to pick a career that is suitable for them. For my project, I have created an Instagram page that is building up to reflect light on women of color and the roles they played but were over shed by masculine figures. My mission is to help encourage women of color and teenage girls to recognize their true passion and to help them overcome these stereotypes that could be holding them back from pursuing these fields.

The guerrilla girls and yes men directly relate to my project as in both reflect light and raise awareness about social and political issues of society. Yes Men use their platform to expose the truth by lies. But Guerrilla Girls activism relates more to my project than Yes Men. The Guerilla Girls focuses more on issues that are faced by women of color and overall women in any field of work.

The Guerrilla Girls are feminist activist artists that wear gorilla masks. Their mission is to bring attention to the women artist and especially artists of color to expose gender inequality.

My project reflects light on why is it so hard for women of color to pursue their dreams and if few of them made it to the top by facing the enormous struggles like The Guerrilla Girls, why were they not recognized in their field of work to help and encourage the next generation of female scientists. The posters below from the book Confessions of The Guerrilla Girls shows why women in any field of life are not recognized. Because their work is never given credits or shown appreciations and is always over shed by masculine power.

Bibliography

Girls, Guerrilla. Confessions of The Guerrilla Girls. HarperPerennial, 1995.

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FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT
*due on the blog by 11:00pm on 5/7

Mapping Social/Cultural Hot Topics and Interventions: Art, Movements and Civic Action

The goal of this assignment is to get you to take a stand on a significant issue related to the course material and then to highlight and support a past or current act of resistance. In order to be a conscientious participant in community and society, one must attend the current events and important social/political struggles of current times. Race relations, gender equality, social justice, health care, reproductive rights, privacy, corporate regulation, marriage equality, religious tolerance, LGBT rights, etc. are all examples of issues citizens have engaged in acts of opposition and resistance, using any number of creative strategies.

From the database of current events and social issues that we have been discussing during the course, choose an issue, artist, movement or citizen action that exemplifies an act of resistance as we have outlined throughout the semester. Using one (or more) of the readings and resources we have used as a way to make a critical argument, create a writing project that encourages or supports the artist or movement and presents their work to a larger audience. Make a case for why this act of resistance is important, timely and worth engaging in and promoting. Be sure to research extensively and thoughtfully in choosing and supporting your artist or movement. Be sure that your project coincides with your own political motivations, ideas and your professional ambitions.

Consider and research extensively and thoughtfully the history and development of the issue you have chosen. The themes and topics of the course have had a recurring history of friction within America’s culture and institutions.You will need to describe and explain the strategies that have been used and are now being used to engage this issue currently and explain how the example you have chosen to highlight fits into the larger issue. The writing project can take the form of an online article, an essay, a blog, a website, tumblr, or even a podcast. Students can present ideas outside of this list if they would like to propose other ways of presenting their writing for this assignment. All students will propose their final projects at midterm and must have their project topic approved by the professor.

In addition to the writing project, each student will do an oral presentation, with visual support materials that summarizes your project. Be prepared to facilitate a discussion with your peers by preparing questions that will be topics of discussion.

INSTRUCTIONS: Be prepared to present your projects to the class in approximately 4 minute presentations. Visuals are a must. Feel free to bring physical props and handouts if appropriate. Remember you are ”pitching” the project to the class. Prepare a succinct and exciting summary of the project that is clear and makes the class want to look further at your project and potentially share the project, promote it and even get involved!

You must create a POST for your final project on the class blog. These must be completed and posted before 5/7
11:00pm. The post must include a link to your project, a clear and well written summary, images and/or videos. You will present from your post. Your project must live in the world (online or not) but all components of your project and presentation must link from the blog post somehow. ~500 words with references to class readings and description of the artist or artist group you are connecting to!
Your resource list/bibliography must be included in your post or handed in to the professor.

Due Wednesday 4/24

GROUP 4 PRESENTS

READINGS:

Chapter 2 Reclaiming the Streets pg. 63-94 Interventionists

2 quotes

Chapter 7 Occupying Space 147-164 Seeing Power

2 quotes

Put an update about your project on the blog! Post images and sketches and link to your works in progress. Draft some of your writing and list your research!! I want to see where you are in the project. Share as much as possible on the blog. We will give some feedback and critique. You will update this post as your final post. Think of this as a draft. This is part of your grade.

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

____________________

Due Wednesday 4/17

GROUP 2 PRESENTS

READINGS:

Chapter 2 Reclaiming the Streets pg. 63-94 Interventionists

2 quotes

Response to the Gallery Visit - Due Wednesday 4/17
Feast & Famine/Art & Activism
Please recall your gallery visit to the exhibition Feast & Famine and curator's tour of the exhibition by Anonda Bell. Choose 2 projects in the exhibition that are connected to your own semester project in some way.

Using the 'Interventionists' and 'Seeing Power' text books as resources focus some research on the socio-political issue and activism techniques that you are addressing and using in your final project. Then connect these to the 2 projects you have chosen from the exhibition. Please write a short description of each of the projects you have chosen. What are the subjects, messages and media of the works? How do the artists address socio-political subjects in the exhibited pieces? Please describe how the work addresses these issues and how the work exists inside of a political and capitalist structure while critiquing it? Please reference your readings from class. How does the exhibition touch upon issues of art, power and activism? How can you connect the exhibition of these works to issues of social and cultural capital and the dialogue of power and representation?

Be sure to address: How do the exhibited projects connect to your own project thematically in message or in form? What medium/media do they use? How do they engage an audience? Why are these challenges/critiques to these issues important? How is activism in art different from political activism outside of the art world? Is it? Use the readings extensively to help describe these projects, their critique of power and capitalist patriarchy and their place in a cultural and political landscape.

~800 words. You must include at least 3 quotes/citations from the class readings and 4 images with captions

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

________________________

Due Wednesday 4/10

+++Wednesday 4/10 our CLASS WILL MEET AT:

Paul Robeson Galleries at Express Newark

54 Halsey Street, 2nd floor

in Newark

We will meet at the gallery in Newark before 9:55am. Please plan to be there early! We will NOT meet in the classroom. We will meet at the gallery in Newark. I will be driving back to NJCU if anyone needs a ride back to school but you must get yourself TO the gallery ON TIME! See below for readings assignments due before the gallery and a blog post due on the blog.

Post 2 Due 4/10 on the blog

Short writing assignment: "Complaint" and project connection

Think about the activism of the Guerrilla Girls and the Yes Men. Connect their themes to your semester project and to advocacy and activism that is adjacent to your project. Now frame your semester project as a "complaint" as awareness raising or as a protest. How is your project creating advocacy and activism from an initial problem or "complaint"? Does your project come from you trying to solve a problem? Frame your semester project topic as a "complaint" in a short piece of writing. Then begin to craft a way of addressing this with a solution - this should help your project.

~400 words You must reference the Guerrilla Girls book and the Interventionists (for Yes Men references). Use the chapters in Seeing Power if appropriate. Use images that help illustrate your project in progress.

READINGS:

Chapter 3 Infrastructures of Resonance pg 55-82, Seeing Power

2 quotes

Feast & Famine at Paul Robeson Galleries

https://artgallery.newark.rutgers.edu/exhibitions/feast-famine/

Justseeds Artist Cooperative - explore their website

https://justseeds.org/

https://justseeds.org/about/

WORK ON YOUR SEMESTER PROJECTS! Research, experiment, seek inspirations and similar projects and get into production! Use the short writing assignment to push your project further and to frame it in relationship to other activist projects.

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

_____________________

Due Wednesday 4/3

GROUP 3 PRESENTS

READINGS: Chapter 3 Ready to Wear pgs 97-108 Interventionists

2 quotes

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

__________________

Due Wednesday 3/27

GROUP 1 PRESENTS

READINGS:

Confessions of the Guerrilla Girls pgs 7-95 (the whole book)*

*we will continue this discussion. Please bring the book and your quotes to class for discussion! If you wee unable to get the book - please borrow it and at the least research the Guerilla Girls at their website.

Chapter 4 Seeing Through the Haze of Social and Cultural Capital pg 83-106

Seeing Power

2 quotes

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

_______________

Due 3/20

READINGS: Confessions of the Guerrilla Girls pgs 7-95 (the whole book)

WORK ON YOUR SEMESTER PROJECTS! Research, experiment, seek inspirations and similar projects and get into production! I will be asking for updates on projects in class.

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

___________________

Due 3/6

MIDTERMS

-Proposals (800words plus a resources/research list) must be printed out and handed in

-Proposals must also be summarized and posted on the blog

-Presentations in class 3minutes (present from your blog post)

Many of you have lots to research and many decisions to make. Please research your topic, look at many examples of other things made to address this topic: movies, websites, books, articles. Find as much as you can in order to help you carve out exactly what you want to make your project about and HOw you will share this information with your audience.. FOCUS your idea as much as possible. Think carefully about why YOU want to make this project, who are you making it for (your audience or perceived audience), what is the message or purpose, what other art or activism projects exist that might be inspiring or helpful for your own project. READ, search online, talk to friends and colleagues Think hard and thoughtfully so you can propose a project that you actually want to make! There are many exciting ideas in the group! Now go figure out what kick-ass projects you can make with these ideas and go make them! Research, read, look, talk, ask, visit until you find the inspiring piece - go go go!

You must present the goals for your semester project in class in a short 3 minute presentation. Think of this as a “pitch” to a group of peers or investors. This proposal and your in-class presentation will be graded as your midterm grade.

**You will use your proposal post to present in class. Be sure to include images and links as appropriate. *You can also make a short slideshow/presentation (like powerpoint) but please be sure that you upload the presentation to the web or make it using a web application like Prezi and link this from your post. You can bring a USB drive only as a backup solution. You will not be able to plug in a USB drive for presentations unless it is a last resort.

WHAT THE PROPOSAL SHOULD INCLUDE:

A project topic proposal (~800 words) and a bibliography and/or research sources list must be handed in and posted on to the blog with images. Please clearly present what you plan to make for your project. What is the main topic of your project? Why you have chosen this topic? What is your message for the audience? How will you reach an audience (ie "publish" the project)? How can an audience engage with the project? How does this project fit into your professional aspirations and your portfolio? What artists have influenced or inspired your project? What other projects have you found that also address this issue and speak to your audience? Your project should be informed by research. Please dive into the subject of your work and also other projects that may be inspirational and in dialogue with your project. Please list all resources that will inform your project so far in a resource list at the end of your proposal.

Good luck!!

BRING QUOTES FROM LAST WEEK's READINGS TO CLASS. Please hand these in when you hand in your midterm proposals in class.

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

_________________

Due 2/27

READINGS:

Chapter 1 Nomads pgs. 25-60 Interventionists

Chapter 5 and 6 Seeing Power in Spaces pg 107-146

Seeing Power

EDIT POST 1 - Dis/Location: Mapping Black Europe

Be sure edit your post, check formatting, review references, be sure you included a works cited list and check that images and captions are all appearing correctly.

Group 1 Presents

RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATE IDEAS FOR YOUR SEMESTER PROJECT!!
Look into various projects and artists that address the issue you have chosen. Find examples that inspire and inform your project. Focus your issue and project mission to address a very specific audience and choose part of the larger issue you proposed to focus on.

**A longer project topic proposal (~2 pages) and bibliography/research sources list will be due for MIDTERM on 3/6 printed and handed in to me and posted on to the blog. You will be presenting the goals for your project in class in short 2-3 minute presentations on 3/6 This proposal and presentation will be graded as your midterm. Your completed project is due at the end of the semester and will be presented in class as your final semester project.

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

________________

Due 2/20

READINGS:

Chapter 1 and 2 pg 3-54

Seeing Power

Chapter 4 The Experimental University pg 111-132

Interventionists

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

Post 1 Due

Dis/Location: Mapping Black Europe

"Curated by Professor Deborah Jack, the exhibition features multimedia works by artists of African diaspora in Europe who engage the geography of the city and space, as well as notions of mapping and negotiations of the urban space within their respective countries and historical archives. Artists include: Ailsa Anastatia and Avantia Damberg, Jeannette Ehlers, Remy Jungerman, and Jean-Ulrick Désert. The exhibition is part of the Black History Month Celebration at NJCU."

Please visit the exhibition in Lemmerman Gallery. In response to your observations of the artwork and the materials presented as part of the exhibition please select two works in the exhibition, identify and describe the two selected works and write a short analysis of the major themes addressed in the works. Please use all materials available in the gallery to gather information on the artists, curatorial mission and each of the pieces in the gallery.How do the works potentially address space, location, nationality, imperialism, race, identity and other themes. Research two of the works in the exhibition and describe how these work are activist and connect them to the class readings. Are the works examples of intervention? How do the works act as works of activism? What messages are the works including? How do these messages create awareness and advocacy? Use the examples in the exhibition to discuss the role of artist as activist.

~800 words, 4 images (with captions), 2 citations from the readings (include a works cited at the bottom of the post) and 2 links to external resources

Semester Project Topic due 2/20

Think about your semester project. Read the project description on our syllabus and note any questions you may have about the assignment. Please write 1 or more ideas you are considering for your project topic. We will be discussing the project assignment in class. You must hand-in your proposed topic or short list of project ideas with short descriptions of why and how you would like to make this project. You can just write these out on a piece of paper or, more preferably, type them and bring them to class. Please remember to include the ways that you plan to share this with an audience. Remember that these projects must exist in the world OUTSIDE of our class. How can you share these and engage an audience to impact their awareness of your topic?

**A longer project topic proposal (~2 pages) and bibliography/research sources list will be due for MIDTERM on 3/6 printed and handed in to me and posted on to the blog. You will be presenting the goals for your project in class in short 2-3 minute presentations on 3/6 This proposal and presentation will be graded as your midterm. Your completed project is due at the end of the semester and will be presented in class as your final semester project.

___________________

Due 2/13

READINGS:

Seeing Power, Introduction

and

Interventionists, Anarchy in the Ruins pg 143-146 and Encyclopedia Entries pg 147-154

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

___________________

Due 2/6

GET THE BOOKS!! Next week you will have readings due from both books.

READING ON BLACKBOARD:

bell hooks, Understanding Patriarchy (+2 quotes (or more) from the reading - to be collected)

Response to the bell hooks reading - to be handed in (this can be on the same page as your quotes to be handed in): Define Patriarchy as per the bell hooks reading. Then through online or other research find an artist/art project who addresses and challenges the status quo, patriarchy, and its systemic power and dominance. Write a short description of the art project and bring it to class in addition to your quotes. You can share this project on twitter or on the blog if you wish.

REVIEW: the readings from last week - see below

Gallery Visit

We will be visiting the exhibition Dis/location: Mapping Black Europe at Lemmerman Gallery in Hepburn Hall during class. Please attend the opening event on Tuesday night if you can. https://www.facebook.com/events/2000267403601069/

There is an opening TONIGHT 1/30 at VA Gallery at 5pm! Go check it out.

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

________________

Due 1/30

READINGS

John Berger Ways of Seeing Ch7 on BLACKBOARD

2 quotes + response on sheet of paper in class

Susan Sontag excerpt from On Photography

http://www.susansontag.com/SusanSontag/books/onPhotographyExerpt.shtml

2 quotes + response on sheet of paper in class

Intro on the blog

Who do you think you are?

What is your role in media consumption, critique and/or media making? How much of our common experience involves shared mass media images, events and stories? Use several examples to illustrate your description of your relationship to media.

Can you think of ways that the media covers activists, acts of resistance and protest? How do you feel about this relationship? Use examples to illustrate your answers. Your blog post must be at least 4 paragraphs and you must include at least one link and one image.

GET THE BOOKS!!

Seeing Power: Art and Activism in the 21st Century by Nato Thomson, Melville House Publishing, Brooklyn 2015

The Interventionists: Users’ Manual for the Creative Disruption of Everyday Lives edited by Nato Thomson and Gregory Sholette, MIT Press, Cambridge 2004

Confessions of the Guerrilla Girls by the Guerrilla Girls, HarperCollins, New York 1995

two tweets #actsofresistanceAIP

______________________

Link to the Syllabus

Link to Class screenings

Link to our twitter hashtag: #actsofresistanceAIP

Discussion guidelines

The course material and discussions can often be provocative and challenging. We must therefore be careful to be respectful of each other and of our viewpoints.

We must come to class prepared and ready to discuss the readings. Please keep discussions focused on the readings and class materials and keep examples relevant and appropriate. If you have not done the readings you are not to participate in the discussion.