Surveillance is Everything

Metal Eye by Chris "Daze" Ellis. Photo by Luna Park.

At first, we thought that Chris "Daze" Ellis to participate in Art in Ad Places would be exciting because it would be a tie to historic New York City subway graffiti, but his poster, Metal Eye, also turned out to reference the (likely) future of NYC public space.

He told us:

"On a day to day basis we are all inundated with an endless stream of advertising. Every space seems to be utilized to see or promote something. Many times this creates a state of sensory overload. It's like several people screaming for your attention at the same time. I enjoyed participating in this project because it gave me the opportunity to invade a space that normally would be devoted to advertising. The image of the metallic 'Eye' is perfect in today's society where surveillance is everything."

We couldn't agree more. And, as more and more phone booths are replaced by LinkNYC towers (eventually, they will all be, that's why the folks behind LinkNYC also manage the payphone infrastructure), that urban surveillance is only increasing, and getting more deeply tethered to our consumption of advertising. The folks at Rethink LinkNYC want us to better understand what these towers are bringing: Advertising, microphones, bluetooth beacons, and video cameras, all for the benefit of Google. What do we get in exchange? Free wifi, for those who choose to use it. Because, apparently, NYC doesn't have enough coffee shops with free wifi. Let's press pause on LinkNYC, at the very least, before this new surveillance system is everywhere. And check out Rethink LinkNYC for more.

And yes, we still got a photo with a train in the background. Had to.

Metal Eye by Chris "Daze" Ellis. Photo by Luna Park.

Whose Faces Do We See?

O Ka Mea Ho'ōkahi Iwi (Portrait of Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu) by Ian Kuali'i. Photo by Luna Park.

Art in Ad Places is, at least in part, about the question of representation. Whose faces are we seeing in public space? Some of the same questions being asked across the country about monuments celebrating racism and racists, or just a single group of people (mostly, it seems, white dudes on horses), apply to the other ways in which we take in other kinds of information in public space. For example, through advertising. And also through street art.

This week, we have two posters by Ian Kuali'i. While Ian has made plenty of beautiful papercuts, these two seem particularly appropriate for public space, because they highlight amazing who haven't been celebrated in public monuments (yet). Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu and Chief Vincent 'Eagle Spirit' Mann are the kinds of people whose faces should be gracing billboards. Instead, we get ads for butt lifts and beer. But, at least for a few days, we get them instead.

Here's what Ian has to say about Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu:

"Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu or simply Kumu Hina is a Mahu/Transgender Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian/Chinese teacher, cultural practitioner and community leader whose boundless love and mana for her people has helped empower the Mauna A Wakea and the Hawaiian Sovereignty movements through dance, chant and the mele/song she composed 'Ku Ha'aheo E Ku'u Hawai'i' which serves as the rally song for the lahui. The struggle to project our sacred mountain and our identity as a sovereign illegally occupied island nation still carries on till this very day."

And Chief Vincent 'Eagle Spirit' Mann:

"Chief Vincent ‘Eagle Spirit’ Mann of the Ramapough Lenape Turtle Clan spearheaded efforts to force the Ford Motor Company to renew remediation at a 500-acre site it had contaminated in the 1960s to the early 1970s. Chief Mann continues to serve as a passionate advocate for his people and the environment. Chief Mann and the rest of the Ramapough Lenape Nation have erected the Split Rock Sweet Water Prayer Camp in Mahwah, New Jersey to protect their ancestral homelands and educate the public on the impending crisis of the AIM and Pilgrim Pipeline that threaten the water supply to millions of residents in the New York/New Jersey Area."

We're glad that Ian have given us the chance to celebrate them both.

Portrait of Turtle Clan Chief Vincent 'Eagle Spirit' Mann of the Ramapough Lenape Nation by Ian Kuali'i. Photo by Luna Park.

Just Wing It

Artwork by Yok and Sheryo. Photo by Luna Park.

Simple question: Why do we need permission from a state bureaucracy to modify public space? As members of the public, don't we have that right? Plus, as Yok and Sheryo have pointed out, isn't it just more fun to carve your own path? Not to sound all libertarian, but public space is a place for the public to define and develop, with assistance from the state. If the state has made a mistake, sometimes the public just has to make it right. The thrill of taking action isn't bad either.

Here's what Sheryo and Yok have to say about it all:

"Ads invade our public spaces and make us feel less about ourselves. Why do they get the right to tell us what to do and how to feel? Our piece for Art in Ad Places is a cheeky public service message that might inspire people to do what they want without waiting for permission to do it. Sometimes it's just more fun to do things without permission. No guidelines, no boxes to check. Just wing it."

Happy Halloween!

Never Let Them Take It From You by Sam Heimer. Photo by Luna Park.

Who else, but Sam Heimer, could we possibly celebrate Halloween with? He has, as far as we know, more love for the holiday than anyone should reasonably have, and that's just right for us. And, as we often do, we could make some comparison to what they think about their work to public space. But today isn't about art or ads or politics. Today is about celebrating a holiday, and Sam does this particular holiday better than anyone.

Here's what he told us:

"I’ve always had a soft spot for Halloween, and as the years pass I find lessons in the holiday that are more important now than ever. With the world on fire, it’s pretty easy to forget about the magic around us, about that fact that every innovation we have is a fine blend of cultural sharing, borrowing and at times stealing, that the veil between life and death is all too thin and we should celebrate both (life and death) while able, that we should be looking for guidance from those who went before us and got it right, and that the harvest, while rarely seen, is more important and frail now than ever. In the face of hardship and coming darkness, we used to light fires, feast, sing and dance, and revel in parlor tricks and games surrounded by our community. Now we just rant on Facebook and become more numb, scared, and distant."

Never Let Them Take It From You by Sam Heimer. Photo by Luna Park.

Our Bodies Are Like the Land, but Can Public Space Be Like Us?

Dandelion by Beyon Wren Moor. Photo by Luna Park.

Time sure flies when you're making mischief... We've got less than 10 installations left this year. Soon, we'll wrap up this iteration of Art in Ad Places and try to figure out what comes in 2018. But first, we have Dandelion by Beyon Wren Moor.

She told us, "My name is beyon wren moor (she/they), i'm a two-spirit Cree and Ukrainian artist and land defender from northern manitoba currently living on occupied Pocumtuck territory. My art and my life are dedicated to the fight for indigenous sovereignty and to the land. this piece is about queer love and queer earth and was created as part of a fundraiser for my friend, a two-spirit, Nahua person named Xóchítl Pāpalōtl Ramírez's medical recovery fund. 'sometimes we are empty because our presence fills the earth and that too is a blessing,' is something they said once. the phrase filled my spirit with this imagery. I like to imagine all of the different ways that our bodies are like the land."

As populations concentrate more and more in cities, and away from traditional conceptions of the land, how do we maintain that relationship that ties us to land, but also to other people? One way is through opportunities to participate in and change public space. It may not be quite like being connected to the earth, but feeling connected to the spaces we travel through is a good first step. Unfortunately, those opportunities are increasingly few and far between. Public space is often privately controlled and, as a result, unlike the people who exist in it. It can take acts of mischief to regain those chances for engagement.

The artist Evan Roth used to assign his students to carry a permanent ink marker, the kind graffiti writer use, with them at all times. Not because he wanted them to necessary start tagging everything in sight, but because there was power that came with the possibility of tagging everything in sight. It's a good exercise. If you don't feel like getting the gear to do your own ad takeovers, at least pick up a marker, carry it around with you for a few days, and see how it makes you feel about public space. Maybe you'll feel a bit more connected to the spaces you inhabit and the people you inhabit them with.

Dandelion by Beyon Wren Moor. Photo by Luna Park.