Steve Lambert » News

Talking about Capitalism at Berlin’s Transmediale 2012

Steve — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:05:35 +0000

Tomorrow morning I leave for Berlin with Victoria Estok for Transmediale 2012.

I’ll be speaking at Crashed Economy: Debugging and Rebooting. About the talk/panel:

To face the current economical crisis means to question dualistic perspectives such as capitalism vs anti-capitalism as well as to imagine a sustainable network of values in which accumulation of growth and precarity are substituted by a grassroots ecology of sharing built on an increasing capacity for sociability. This event presents two sets of projects which question the notion of capitalism through direct intervention and collective reflections proposing an exodus from proprietary money and trade regulation through distributed commons and practices of social networking.

In Part 1: What Capitalism? Steve Lambert (us) and Daniel Garcia Andujar (es) show how one can critique the concept of capitalism in times of crisis through direct interventions and ludic practices. Elanor Colleoni (it/dk) will act as respondent.

Victoria is in the reSource program.

Group show at Beacon Arts Building: Capital Offense: The End(s) of Capitalism

Steve — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:06:28 +0000

Saturday, January 28 – Sunday March 11, 2012

Beacon Arts presents Capital Offense: The End(s) of Capitalism, curated by Jennifer Gradecki and Renée Fox, which presents a selection of artwork and writing chosen for its clarity in questioning, exposing and reflecting upon various aspects of the current global economic crisis and neoliberal global capitalism. The exhibition features writing, video, sculpture, participatory and interactive installation, performance, painting, photography, and posters by Critical Art Ensemble, Gregory Sholette, Holly Crawford, Andrea Fraser, Noam Chomsky, Martha Rosler, Team Colors Collective, Occuprint, Derrick Jensen, Steve Lambert, Nicolas Lampert, Bask, Alex Schaefer, Cake and Eat It, Flora Kao, Jody Zellen, Meleko Mokgosi, Mira Rychner, Bob Golub, Marc James Léger, Matt Greco, Daniela Comani and Stih & Schnock, Aaron Burr Society, Dara Greenwald, Derek Curry, Ackroyd & Harvey, Pete Yahnke Railand, Lori Nelson, Dehlia Hannah and TWCDC (Together We Can Defeat Capitalism).

Capital Offense opens Saturday, January 28, 2012, and runs through March 11, 2012. Exhibition special events include an opening reception on Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 6:00 – 9:00pm, an evening of entertaining and thought provoking performances on Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 6:00 – 9:00pm with award winning Stand-up comic Bob Golub at 6pm and a Salon hosted by Cake and Eat it at 7:30pm. The exhibition closes on Sunday, March 11 from 1:00 – 4:00pm, with an engaging panel discussion including some of the participating artists and guest speakers (to be announced). Beacon Arts is located at 808 N. La Brea Ave., Inglewood, CA 90302. Regular gallery hours are from 1:00pm to 6:00pm Thursday through Saturday, Sundays 1:00pm – 4:00pm. For additional information please call 310-419-4077 or visit www.beaconartsbuilding.com

Capital Offense: The End(s) of Capitalism
Curator’s Statement:
Since the global economic crisis began in 2008, our economic situation has become all the more urgent to understand and discuss. Social unrest is on the rise as time passes and nothing changes.

Artists, intellectuals, and non-specialists alike are growing increasingly concerned with aspects of the global economic order, including: the destruction of the planet as a means to profit, the exploitation of artists and other workers as a means to economic and cultural capital, the deception of the populous (through fear tactics and disinformation) to maintain the status quo, the impact of gentrification and an unregulated housing market on affordable housing, the increasing power of corporations over people, and the effects of the recession on everyday life, to name just a few.

Artists, intellectuals, and concerned citizens of the world are engaging in various tactics to initiate social and economic change: analyzing the financial sector, illustrating the consequences of economic policies, illuminating relationships between the art world and the world of economic power, democratizing knowledge from specialized spheres, revealing the impact of the economy of fear, questioning capitalist systems of value, and organizing to find solidarity after years of atomization, again, to name a few.

As the disparity in wealth continues to grow, so does public interest in understanding and changing the social order that allowed for it. It is necessary to consider our own complicities in the impact that global capitalism is having on the world and its inhabitants. Please join us and add your voice to this important conversation.

Beacon Arts –

Housed within the iconic Beacon Arts Building, the venture offers innovative art programming to enrich the cultural landscape of Los Angeles. Its primary directive is to provide and maintain the integrity of an exhibition space for contemporary fine art by Southern California artists working in all media, including painting, sculpture, installation, video, and performance art. Works by both emerging and established artists are presented in an effort to provide a variety of ideas in different forms that both challenge and inspire. The endeavor seeks to enrich public understanding and appreciation of contemporary fine art by creating conversations through special events, lectures, symposia, and panel discussions with intellectual commentary on exhibitions. Beacon Arts is now over a year old, having completed its successful inaugural Critics-as-Curators series – consecutive shows conceived and curated by art writers and critics. This series ran for the first year of the space, from October 2010 to October 2011. The gallery plans to continue programming into 2012 with Prince at the Forum curated by Steven Bankhead and Jesse Benson March 24, 2012 – May 6, 2012 and a series of shows in the summer featuring our favorite artists (TBA), peppered with summer night video screenings.

Beacon Arts Building –

The 32,400-square-foot Beacon Arts Building is an iconic four-story, solid reinforced concrete structure located in the heart of the burgeoning Inglewood Arts District. Having stored inanimate items for close to sixty years, originally as the legendary Bekins Moving and Storage Company, this dramatic 1951 edifice has now transformed into a springboard and “beacon” for artistic expression. In addition to ground floor gallery and retail spaces, the building offers a gorgeous New York warehouse-style environment for professional artists, with spaces in various sizes up to 6,000 square feet with 11’6” ceilings. It has a high rear loading facility, large freight elevator, WiFi availability, and sprinkler system throughout. Beacon Arts Building sits prominently on La Brea Avenue, just South of Centinela, located only 11 minutes south of the 10 Freeway (I-10). Free parking is available in the on-site lot or on La Brea. For further information about availabilities in the Beacon Arts Building, please contact Scott Lane at 310-576-3543 or scottlaneco@yahoo.com. For more information, images, and interviews please contact Caroline Meer @ impulse2impact@gmail.com

2012 deCordova Biennial

Steve — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:03:28 +0000

Capitalism Works For Me! True/False is included in the 2012 deCordova Biennial. The show will be up in Lincoln, MA from Jan 22nd – April 22nd. The sign will be at the museum, and we’ll be taking it to locations around Boston around late March through mid-April – details on those trips to be announced.

From the deCordova website:

The 2012 deCordova Biennial is a survey exhibition focused on emphasizing the quality and variety of work rather than any single or overarching theme. Highlighting artists from across New England, the exhibition displays a diverse range of approaches to media and content. The exhibition is co-curated by deCordova Curator, Dina Deitsch and Independent Curator and former owner/director of the Judi Rotenberg Gallery, Boston, MA, Abigail Ross Goodman. The 2012 deCordova Biennial features 23 artists and collaboratives and will occupy almost the entirety of the Museum and beyond—reaching into the park, Boston, and nearby communities through several public, off-site projects.

The 2012 deCordova Biennial Artists:

Antoniadis & Stone      Caitlin Berrigan
Taylor Davis                   Jo Dery
Kim Faler                        Matthew Gamber
Jessica Gath                 Jonathan Gitelson
Eric Gottesman             Corin Hewitt
Lauren Kalman             Steve Lambert
Mary Lum                       Megan and Murray McMillan
Ann Pibal                        Matt Saunders
South End Knitters      Chris Taylor
Ven Voisey                    Anna Von Mertens
Joe Wardwell               Cullen Bryant Washington, Jr.
Joe Zane

For The 2012 deCordova Biennial Deitsch and Goodman invited Ian Berry, Curator, Tang Museum at Skidmore College; Richard Klein, Exhibitions Director, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum; and Denise Markonish, Curator, Mass MoCA to participate as Advisory Board contributors.

The 2012 deCordova Biennial will be accompanied by an 88-page, color catalogue featuring essays by the curators and a guest essay about public art by Gavin Kroeber.

The Capitalism Sign has been crated.

Steve — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:35:40 +0000

I got these images from Wood Lee Art Handlers in Cleveland. The sign is on its way to Boston for the Decordova Biennial.

Interview on Breakthru Radio

Steve — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:06:44 +0000

Thomas Seeley did an interview with me about Capitalism Works For Me True/False for Breakthru Radio. You can listen to the show online.

“Political Expressionism” and Other Fallacies of Political Art

Steve — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:13:50 +0000

Speaking with Stephen Duncombe at Carnegie Mellon University

Stephen Duncombe and Steve Lambert are directors of the new Center for Artistic Activism.

Stephen Duncombe is an Associate Professor at the Gallatin School and the Department of Media, Culture and Communications of New York, where he teaches the history and politics of media.
Steve Lambert was a Senior Fellow at New York’s Eyebeam Center for Art and Technology from 2006-2010, developed and leads workshops for Creative Capital Foundation, and is faculty at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Many artists want to create work that has a social impact. Unfortunately most artists don’t learn how to do this. Drawing upon their own artistic and activist practice, their ongoing research project interviewing activist artists, and drawing from contemporary examples, Duncombe and Lambert will lay out common fallacies held by the “political artist.” They still believe, however, that thinking, acting, and creating artistically is essential for effective activism, and will present strategies for sidestepping common pitfalls of political art-making and lessons in making political art work.

Sponsor: Center for the Arts in Society
Co-Sponsors: School of Art; Dean’s Office, College of Fine Arts

This Space Available – Documentary Trailer and Clips

Steve — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:06:39 +0000

“I have never seen such a god damn group of selfish, eager hogs”

–President Lyndon Johnson on the Billboard Industry

Over a year ago I interviewed for this documentary about visual pollution. In my research as an artist over the past 12 years I have learned more than most would ever care to about public space, graffiti laws, the advertising industry, and the ugly underside of marketing. I haven’t seen this film yet, but I’m glad to see the message making it’s way out with voices from within and without the industry.

It premieres at IFC Center in New York next week on November 5th.

About the “This Space Available” Film

“Billboards and commercial messages dominate the public space like never before. Can we reverse this visual pollution? This Space Available looks at diverse activists from the worlds of advertising, street art, and politics. Influenced by the writing of Marc Gobé ( Emotional Branding ), his daughter Gwenaelle directs with tremendous verve in her depiction of New Yorkers and others around the world who want to reclaim the integrity of their cities against an onslaught of visual pollution.”

Trailer

Click here to view the embedded video.

Clips

Steve Lambert talking about an illegal billboard

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jordan Seiler organizing the whitewashing of illegal ads

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jordan Seiler

Click here to view the embedded video.

This Space Available Documentary Premiers Nov 5

Steve — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:27:56 +0000

I did an interview for the film, “This Space Available: The Grassroots Movement Against Visual Pollution” and it’s premiering at IFC Center in New York next month. Jordan Seiler of Public Ad Campaign is also in the film.

This Space Available

A documentary film directed by

Gwenaelle Gobe

Executive Producer: Marc Gobe/Emotional Branding

World Premiere at IFC Center/ New York

Saturday November 5th Time: 7:00 PM

Tuesday November 8th Time: 1:15 PM

THIS SPACE AVAILABLE: Press Release

Billboards and commercial messages dominate the public space like never before. But is a movement taking shape to reverse this trend?

In This Space Available, filmmaker Gwenaëlle Gobé says yes. Influenced by the writing of her father, Marc Gobé (Emotional Branding), this new director brings energy and urgency to stories of people around the world fighting to reclaim their public spaces from visual pollution.

From 240 hours of film, 160 interviews and visits to 11 countries on five continents, This Space Available charts a fascinating variety of struggles against unchecked advertising and suggests that more than aesthetics is at stake. If Jacques Attali once called noise pollution an act of violence, is visual pollution also such an act? Should we also consider, as one Mumbai resident says, “which classes of society can write their messages on the city and which classes of society are marginalized?”

Gobé offers a canny generational analysis of visual pollution, laying blame not just with the advertising juggernaut but also an entire generation of Baby Boomers, whose consumption-based culture has implicated them in the environmental fallout. She argues that it’s her generation, left to do the cleaning up, that is now leading the fight back.But the filmmaker also recognizes the history and politics behind this fight. Turning to such legislation as the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, Gobé shows how the enforcement of this landmark law, designed to regulate outdoor advertising on America’s roadways, has steadily eroded. And today, public space activist Jordan Seiler faces harsh penalties for covering illegal outdoor ads with art, while officials turn a blind eye to illegally erected billboards.

Still, the film strikes a hopeful tone. A standout interview features Gilberto Kassab, the popular mayor of Sao Paulo, who threw a stone into the quiet pond of the billboard industry by successfully banning outdoor media in his city – the eighth largest in the world. The move is not without precedent: Houston’s 1980 billboard ban was also a deliberate tactic to improve its flagging image, economic competitiveness, and quality of life.

In the end, This Space Available challenges audiences to recognize that aesthetics and beauty go hand in hand with responsibility. Gobé asks why brands continue to ally themselves with an industry that cuts down trees, hogs energy, and spends its profits in courts and statehouse lobbies, especially while younger consumers push for improved corporate citizenship? And is everyone equally to blame for enabling the spread of visual pollution, while other humble individuals show that it’s possible to reverse it?

The film navigates these issues without promoting a universal solution. Gobé instead weaves together stories reflecting diverse local responses to an increasingly global condition. This Space Available compels audiences to consider these stories long after the film ends, or at least to remember them each time we speed by a billboard.

Art Toronto & Texas Contemporary Art Fair

Steve — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 13:00:10 +0000

Charlie James Gallery has been out on the road showing selected pieces at art fairs across the country. This month there are two to note and there will be some surprises at each.

The Texas Contemporary Art Fair

Houston, Texas. Charlie James Gallery is Booth: 803

October 20 through October 23

Art Toronto

(I’ll be featured at this one)

Toronto International Art Fair site

October 27 – October 31st

DESIGN ACT published

Steve — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:51:56 +0000

Book launch:

DESIGN ACT Socially and politically engaged design today – critical roles and emerging tactics

Time:

30 September, 6-8 pm

Place:

EXD’11

Lounging Space,

Antigo Tribunal da Boa-Hora,

Lisbon, Portugal

Programme:

Presentation of the DESIGN ACT book by the editors Magnus Ericson and Ramia Mazé followed by a panel discussion with Joseph Grima, Meike Schalk (both contributors to the book) and Lisa Rosendahl, Iaspis director. Moderator: Annika Enqvist, project co-ordinator, Iaspis

DESIGN ACT Socially and politically engaged design today – critical roles and emerging tactics is a new book that presents and discusses contemporary design practices that engage with political and societal issues. Since 2009, Iaspis’ and Interactive Institute’s collaboration DESIGN ACT has been highlighting and discussing practices, in which designers have been engaging critically as well as practically in such issues. Itself an example of applied critical thinking and experimental tactics, the process behind the DESIGN ACT project is considered as a curatorial, participatory and open-ended activity. DESIGN ACT has developed through a website with an online archive; public seminars; presentations and an international network of practitioners, theoreticians and curators.

The book is organized around three sections:

‘WHAT are examples of these movements?’ Contemporary and historical writings, including reprints of ‘Suicidal Desires’ (from the book Superstudio: Life Without Objects, by Peter Lang and William Menking) and ‘Designer as Author’ (from the book Design Noir by Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby), historical reflections by Helena Mattsson and Christina Zetterlund and an interview with Doina Petrescu (FR) by Ramia Mazé.

‘HOW does it happen and what does it take?’ A substantial analysis of the tactics and methods of the examples of projects featured in the DESIGN ACT archive, by Ramia Mazé and Natasha Marie Llorens.

‘WHERE does it happen and in what contexts?’ A broad perspective on practice from institutions, education and research to new forms of practitioner initiated projects: Interviews with Pelin Dervis (TK), Joseph Grima (IT/US), Ou Ning (CH), Meike Schalk (SE/DE), Yanki Lee (UK), Ana Betancour (SE), Otto von Busch (SE), Mauricio Carbalan (AR) and Tor Lindstrand (SE), by Magnus Ericson.

The book also includes descriptions of 36 projects from the DESIGN ACT archive by:

A+URL, Camilla Andersson, Anti-Advertising Agency, Jon Ardern and Benedict Singleton, atelier d’architecture autogérée, Otto von Busch, Constant in collaboration with Recyclart, City Mine(d) and Speculoos, Dunne & Raby, eskyiu, Fantastic Norway, Aslı Kıyak İngin and Teike Asselbergs, International Festival with Front, Natalie Jeremijenko and the xClinic staff, Yanki Lee with Paula Dib, live|work, m7red, MINE, muf, New Beauty Council, Josh On, Marjetica Potrč and STEALTH in collaboration with A5 Arkitekter, Michael Rakowitz, Raumlaborberlin, Hannah le Roux, School of Missing Studies/Centrala – Foundation for Future Cities, Stalker, Think Public, Unsworn Industries and Zoom Architecture

This book is a final and complimentary part of the project DESIGN ACT, produced by Iaspis, published by Sternberg Press and edited by the founders of the DESIGN ACT project, Magnus Ericson and Ramia Mazé.

Iaspis is the Swedish Arts Grants Committee’s International Programme for Visual Arts. The main purpose is to promote dialogue between practitioners in Sweden and the international scene. Iaspis encompasses an international studio program in Sweden, a support structure for exhibitions and residences abroad for Swedish-based practitioners, and a program of seminars, exhibitions and publications. www.iaspis.se

The Interactive Institute is a Swedish IT research institute that combines expertise in art, design and technology. Pioneering societal and sustainable approaches to world-leading applied research, the institute develops new research areas, products and services, and provides research and strategic advice to corporations and public organizations. www.tii.se

Sternberg Press www.sternbergpress.com

EXD’11 EXD (Experimenta) is an international biennale dedicated to design, architecture and creativity; a forward-thinking platform that cultivates and analyses contemporary culture through discussion and reflection. It is a springboard for up-andcoming talent and experimentation in different formats, from exhibitions to urban interventions, debates and lectures. Focusing on people and ideas, the biennale’s programme is designed to provide insight and incentive to both a specialized audience and the public at large, disseminating information and provoking debate. www.experimentadesign.pt