USSSA and Engaging the Public During the Presidential Election

Recently, I was invited to document and join a group of artists who are planning an exhibition with a series of multi-city art rallies, which are anchored by a collective engagement with America's ongoing Presidential Election process. The USSSA project is curated by m. ryan noble a.k.a. imagici. noble’s previous efforts culminated in a collective effort called FLAG STOP. Dedicated to the ideals of democracy and self-expression, the USSSA project aims to finding a meeting space for these two endeavors, which are the primary agendas for all candidates involved.  

The collective's approach to art and its role in society was largely shaped by performance artists such as Linda Montano, Sharon Hayes, and Marina Abramović.  

For instance, Marina’s 2010 retrospective at the MoMA The Artist is Present could be understood as the act of stripping the to its core elements -- perception, (self) identification, and, hopefully, a subsequent understanding. To really look at a subject is to really try to understand it, and this has largely informed noble’s approach to art and its role in society.

Where does art fit in?  Just think about how Romney's weakness tends to be his lack of sensitivity about the working-class conditions in the United States or even Santorum's misguided and overtly misogynist advice about "friends" not letting friends "use pink balls." Video played a large role in how that information became public knowledge. In short, thank goodness that there are politically engaged individuals and groups out there that don't let these missteps go unnoticed. We can all agree that these are not the appropriate messages for the nation to obey.  

Much of this commentary is made possible by art and media -- YouTube, the news, and even performance art!  It's important to note that all of the aforementioned resources are highly collaborative mediums, which rely greatly upon its audience.  And this is where USSSA aims to be more far-reaching in carrying its message that there is much more to be spoken by the (potentially voting) public. San Francisco was the site of the first meeting, and Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago are under consideration for future rallies. The meetings are free and open to the public, too! 

As we move forward in the election process, and learn more about the current state of democracy, these artists will convene in an effort to create an additional layer -- a discussion in tandem with what’s been made public. In essence, there is plenty of room to document and express more private concerns that seep through political debates, publicity, and legislation. noble suggests that, more often than not, the common reaction to the often-frustratingly generalized language used during the presidential election season can lead many to feel a sense of invisibility or hopelessness. As noble states, it can make many of us perceive "social reality as an illness—pervasive, contagious and stigmatized."  

As mentioned, in order to successfully engage with a subject, perception must be followed by the act of identifying with it (in some form) and understanding it on our own terms. With that said, the artists aim to provide this dialogue and invite the public to make this happen.  The project includes several visual and performance artists, including Wafaa Bilal, Barbara Horiuchi, Sarah Sense, Christy Speakman, and Dread Scott.  For a complete list of participating artists, see the USSSA: Phase 1 fundraiser page.

Dread Scott.  Imagine a World Without America.  Screen print on canvas. 

If you'd like to support this project, please donate.  Each phase of this project depends upon active participation in the spirit of democracy!

Tunisia: Ending Decades of Silence

Photo: Nasser Nouri

In a bid to curb criticism of Tunisia's transitional government, officials increase crackdowns against public opinions as the country prepares for elections in October.

Last year the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) named Tunisia one of the most repressive country's in the Middle East and North Africa for journalists despite portraying a public image of being a place of liberalism and modernity.

For many Tunisians the success in bringing down the dictatorship of former president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali meant that twenty-three years of enforced rule had finally come to an end.

"A succession of many events over several years led to the 'Jasmine revolution'," said 24-year-old Asma in an interview with Her Blueprint. The sharing of information played a pivotal role in the Tunisian revolution because the strongest pillars of the Ben Ali system was censorship of information and it collapsed once he was unable to control it."

Following the country's successful uprising, Asma embarked on journey in pursuit of a career in journalism and dedicated her master's in cultural studies to focus on the Tunisian revolution and the various contribution of social media.

"Of course the international media put a lot of emphasis on social media during the revolt. Almost to the point that it was the hottest topic while other issues like social and economic woes, which were at the heart of the uprising. I mean in the end we were fighting for more freedoms, an end poverty and social injustice," she adds.

"However, one can't ignore the role of social media. It helped in sending messages and raising awareness amongst Tunisian citizens who had no idea of politics or what’s was happening in the country but thanks to social networks like Facebook and Twitter it helped to also spread Tunisia's situation to the rest of the world."

One aspect of the democratic changes is the introduction of a draft press law, which calls for reduced prison sentences for media professionals and scrapping government discretion in refusing to register newspapers.

"The only red lines we have now is our ethics to ensure that as journalists we remain biased, objective and stick to the facts without any extra interpretations," continues Asma.

"Despite these new freedoms there still remains a great level of censorship. The draft press law that is currently under debate continues to allow journalist to be imprisoned for up to five years for dozens of crimes like defamation. Actually all forms of mass communication are still under threat."

Tunisia's 23 October elections are aimed at creating a constituent assembly to reform the constitution, which was amended nine years ago after the Tunisian constitutional referendum of 2002. Many Tunisians remain in the dark over the fact that the country's first free elections are separate from parliamentary elections.

"As aspiring journalists we have a big responsibility because we control the kind of information that's being filtered to the public. In a way we're like educators," concludes Asma.