Art and Activism Go Hand in Hand

A topic that I noticed a lot of activists fought against was capitalism and consumerism. It’s a very interesting issue to address especially since all around the world our ways of life is heavily influenced and even defined by consuming and spending money. 

There were a handful of artists showcased in The Interventionists that I addressed this through their activist projects such as StreetRec, The Reverend Billy, The Yes Men, and YOMANGO. 

StreetRec only existed for 9 months in 2003 as a result of the World Economic Forum (WEF), but participated in the project “Retooling Dissent,” in which they made large-scale heads of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfield during the WEF protests in NYC. The protest and movement was a their way of voicing their “dissatisfaction with the continuing abuse of power by privileged people.”

"Retooling Dissent" from StreetRec. Photo courtesy of The Interventionists.

The Yes Men protest the same issue but in a much riskier and extreme way. Instead of holding picket signs outside of conferences like WEF,  Jacques Servin and Igor Vamos (the two behind the Yes Men) infiltrate these them instead, often by posing as spokespeople for the big corporations they’re against. They’re more pranksters than anything, and it’s hard not to be shocked at how far they’ve gotten and continued to get when it comes to tricking so many people. 

Now, the Yes Men have launched the Yes Lab which is a resource for social justice organizations to organize activist campaigns. Through the Yes Lab, Servin and Vamos provide their expertise to help these organizations refine their campaigns and see that they’re carried out successfully. 

The "Suvivalball" by the Yes Men. Photo courtesy of Art Threat.

Yomango of Barcelona is more of an interloper than anything else, and like the Yes Men, take a very extreme approach to activism. Yo mango is Spanish for “I steal,” is exactly what they do. As a way of rebelling and making a political statement, members of the movement are encouraged to shoplift from stores. 

In 2004, they created the Yomango bag, dubbed the “magic bag.” The bag is resistant to alarm detectors and allows you to get out of stores without triggering any bells or alarms. 

As of 2013, the movement has spread to Germany, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile. Paul Bannister, one of the heads at YOMANGO said of the group, “the difference is we frame it as a form of civil disobedience, as a political act,” rather than a shameful act of shoplifting. It’s their way of fighting against big business and materialism. 

The "Yomango bag" by Yomango. Photo courtesy of Vice. 

Another really quirky activist that deals directly with capitalism is the Reverend Billy. Billy is an anti-consumerism activist/reverend that preaches against the evils of capitalism. He first started out in the late nineties in Times Square standing outside Disney and Starbucks. Calling Mickey Mouse “the anti-christ,” Billy would warn locals and tourists about the danger and destruction that stems from our consumerist society. His work has expanded into the “Stop Shopping Choir” and church of 50. 

Billy and his Choir go out in public and spread their message in a way that you can’t ignore. They’re different from protesters like StreetRec in that their message is much more subliminal and satirical. If you were to happen across Billy out in the streets of New York he’d seem like any of the other crazy people shouting in public. You might not even realize what he’s shouting about until you really listen. 

These four activists all approach their issues with capitalism and consumerism in very different ways. The Yes Men and Yomango encourage people to be act in civil disobedience and cause trouble. They take the risk to get into serious trouble but all for the sake of delivering their point. StreetRec and the Reverend Billy speak to the public instead of only addressing corporations and big businesses. They’re interested in informing and educating people on the issue and including people outside of their circles. 

What these groups of people do is incredibly important, and just because there aren’t big changes like the ones they push for, it’s the small steps that count the most. Spreading awareness about issues is one of the most important aspects of activism, because it’s necessary for people to be active in inciting the change. For example, if it weren’t for the Yes Men documentary, I hadn’t known about Dow Chemical or the disaster in Bhopal. Large corporations taking advantaged of underprivileged communities and countries is something I’ve always been aware of but it’s specific incidents like the one in Bhopal that I didn’t know about until I came in contact with their project. 

I don’t think activism in art is all that different from political activism, but that they’re one in the same. Artists and art have played a role since the very first protests. I think activism like what Billy or the Yes Men do is like performance art, that groups like Yomango use aesthetics and visual elements to brand their collective in a way that legitimizes them. Art plays a role in every aspect of our lives, it’s not just pretty paintings in frames or sculptures in a museum. Art is and can be incredibly meaningful and it’s always found a place to be that in activism.