The Creators Project: Inspired by quantum physics and the teachings of human rights advocate Grace Lee Boggs, an arts collective in Detroit is rethinking activism for the 21st century. Complex Movements creates extraordinary multimedia experiences that engage citizens and support social change. Blending the talents of graphic designer and fine artist Wesley Taylor, music producer and filmmaker Waajeed, lyricist, performance artist and activist Invincible, designer and engineer Carlos Garcia (L05), and producer and cultural strategist Sage Crump, their work defies categorization, preaching change through a kaleidoscope of artistic mediums.
3 comments:
I find it extremely interesting how the piece has a storyline and is a protest piece. Normally, when I think of protest art, I don’t associate with having a storyline. Though protest art always has a story, it's usually the story of the idea or the movement that the artist is trying to help. Also, I think the versatility of the message is extremely interesting. Protest art tends to have a moment specific message that it wants to convey. This piece seems to be in the eye of the beholder. I would love to see this piece in action because I want to see how people interact with the installation. I also would love to see different people in the installation so that I could how the different interpretations form. I think it would be interesting to see how people from different parts of the same city would react to the piece. I think it would be interesting to see the divide between different neighborhoods in the same town. Would it show a large divide or show the connections?
How beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Right now I am listening to the soundtrack that have put on the article, and from the beginning I instantly got a glimpse of how this interactive production impacts their audience. The song in particular that I am listening is called Apple Orchards and right from the start the music captures you, memorizes, and the woman starts rapping softly full of sadness and telling a story that sort of invokes in you this raw emotion of sorrow and anger for what is happening. This experience needs to travel to more places (specifically Pittsburgh, specifically to a place near CMU), because I think all of America, every side of it needs something like this because from what I’ve read of the description and listened to a part of the soundtrack, I think anyone could relate to it, and see their own injustice, the unfairness of their surroundings and life be reflected into the message. I would love to be part of an activism and multimedia project as this, because it is truly groundbreaking. As the definition of activism is growing, this type of multimedia activism is definitely something that should be explored more. What I really like of it is that it gives the issue to fictional and fantasy setting which in turn can relate to reality. That whole connection of fantasy having a true impact on reality is something I have been struggling with, because even though that is what I really want to achieve, there are things that discourage that sort of action, but this project gives me hope. Maybe one day I will get an opportunity to be part of something marvelous as this.
The quest to find a new mode of activism in the theatre is urgent, especially now. I don’t think the old ways are outmoded. I still think you can make a dent with a straight play written with activism in mind. One of the most moving, enlightening, and motivating theatre experiences I’ve had was watching Black Watch, which was pretty straightforward piece based on interviews with Scottish soldiers.
But you can’t deny that technology is, in some way, changing the way we think, the way we perceive the world, and the way we interact with people and ideas. Theatre HAS to find a way to effectively speak to that in a way that isn’t only spectacle. I love that there is a theatre investigating the intersection between activism, interactivity, submersion, digital design, and pop culture. I love that the narrative they describe in this article is more complex than just a parable. And it’s useful: it forces people to think about currents of disagreement within movements (something most people probably haven’t experienced) and how they would handle those currents. I hope this tours more: I want to see it.
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