hyperallergic.com: At 6:45 pm ET yesterday evening, a handheld bell sounded in the rotunda of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, signaling the second protest action in as many months from the Global Ultra Luxury Faction, or G.U.L.F. The ringing was followed by the release of 9,000 “1%” bills of parodic currency which fluttered downward as patrons rushed to the inner edge of Frank Lloyd Wright’s spiral ramp. But unlike G.U.L.F.’s intervention at the museum late last month, there were no shouted demands or Occupy-style mic checks — the only sound that could be heard after the bills were released was the collective gasp of the hundreds of patrons who packed the museum, where lines for entry wrapped around the block (Saturdays are a free night). Posters and bills were also placed in the museum’s bathrooms and later posted in a number of the city’s subway stations and trains.
3 comments:
This seems like a great way to have a protest that effectively brings attention to a cause without harming anyone. I don't know anything about this cause, but after some quick research it definitely sounds like an issue that isn't getting enough attention, and that these protesters are doing the right thing in bringing it into the discussion. This protest is visually stunning and appropriate for a museum. It's odd that the museum temporarily banned photography- I understand why they did, but they must have known that with everyone having a camera in their phone that banning taking pictures would be ineffective and futile.
This was a really cool protest, and they did a great job of getting their point out there without causing any sort of rioting or trouble, and the museum did a very good job of handling the situation. I think that the image of the fake money being thrown over the edge was beautiful, and the Guggenheim was a great setting for this protest. Something that I found really interesting about it was the way that the right to take photos was temporarily revoked.
The Guggenheim is a renown organization for the preservation and sharing of amazing art. It is very unfortunate that civil and human right issues have arisen over it’s operations. The bills falling in fact looked very beautiful, out of context it could look like a performance art piece. We often forget the effect our purchases have on citizens of other countries with weaker worker protections. It is important that these individuals are vying for this cause but I would hope that they remain non-destructive.
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