| I am excited to announce, Autonomous Democracy, a new project focused on exploring the history of experiments in direct democracy within freedom movements. Over the course of the next year, in addition to my work, I will be inviting artists from around the world to participate in discussions and programs on democracy, present pop-up exhibitions, design and disseminate posters via institutions, communities and wheat pasting actions. Autonomous Democracy begins with a series of posters inspired by the vibrant history of agitprop and the dissemination of political graphics during popular uprisings from the 1871 Paris Commune to the current movement for racial justice in the United States. The 1st poster celebrates the direct action and the manifestation of real democracy during the Wisconsin uprising. In February 2011, rejecting the undemocratic actions of the then Wisconsin Governor, Scott Walker, and in an act of direct democracy, thousands of people occupied the Wisconsin State Capital Building in Madison to defend worker rights. The occupation followed the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia and coincided with the mass movement in Egypt’s Tahrir Square which lead to the overthrow of dictator Hosni Mubarak. Later that year, inspired by these actions and demanding a truly democratic response to the economic crisis, people began occupying Zuccotti park near Wall Street in New York launching the Occupy Movement. These are just some of the moments in the long history of the growing global movement for direct democracy. |
| Download the first poster here and share with your community. |
