Writing 3: Witnessing Each Other
Infernal Noise is an autobiographical narrative about a member of a marching band recounting the WTO riots in Seattle. The tactic was to use planned musical numbers to protest environmental and human rights issues and get into the hearts of the people. Fire is a symbol of cleansing, rebellion, and anger in more invasive forms of protest. The term “Infernal” references this motif, and noise is used as a disruption of daily life through a musical demonstration. The march began in a Starbucks, which interrupted the citizens’ morning routine. This was a masterful technique of getting the attention of the public on fighting these social issues. Starbucks was the first stop before taking to the streets and creating space for more people to join in on the demonstration. With each beat of a drum, people marched in tandem to see that social justice was won. Shortly after this, they were met with police resistance, adding to the difficult task of staying in unison and unified. Throughout the day, they were met with police resistance, but they persisted. After the protests, Whitney adds that “people in the US were waking up to the economic and political reality”. When activism is conducted through artistic expression, it creates a powerful act of resistance against oppressive systems through disruption instead of destruction.
These artistically motivated protests can even be seen in more visual demonstrations. Krzysztof Wodiczko is an artist who projects art onto architectural spaces. Oftentimes, when people see things that upset them, they look away or fall victim to the suppression of news coverage of social justice. The projections occupy space by combining contexts to reveal a narrative that people often overlook. In Brooklyn, New York, the Sailors and Soldiers Memorial sits at the center of the Grand Army Plaza. The sculptures on its architecture capture representations of war through the perspective of two artists: Frederick McMannis and Thomas Eakins. Each artist depicted different interpretations of war through historical figures and symbols occupying separate periods. McMannis’ Quadrica piece is inspired by ancient Greek representations of triumphant victory, and Eakins displays reliefs of figures from the 1800s like Abraham Lincoln. On New Year’s Eve of 1985, Krzysztof used this architectural centerpiece as a canvas to display the US and Soviet governments’ tense discussions of peace. He represents either side by missiles linked by a locked chain. Krysztof was approved to do a different piece as part of the celebrations of the new year, but disrupted the space by creating something that is politically charged. This led to being featured in newspapers. His impermanent projections were a symbolic form of protest that served the purpose of getting people’s attention on the political environment. This stunt exemplifies the potent influence of representations of activism through artistically disruptive demonstrations.
