Pedro Reyes - Doomocracy

Doomocracy

• Sunday October 30th

– Meet at 5:30pm at 59th in Sunset Park Brooklyn (N/R)– Dismiss at 8pm at 59th station in Sunset Park, Brooklyn (N/R)

Pedro Reyes creates artwork and conversation around real world topics that are considered taboo by some. Simply put: this artwork is not easy to deal with, but it contains social issues that we as a society must deal with nonetheless.Please be cautious about your voluntary participation in this trip, because the performance has triggers for the following topics.

Gun ViolenceImmigration RightsThe 2016 ElectionPolice BrutalityDrug Abuse Sugar Addiction and DiabetesThe War on TerrorClimate ChangeWomen's Reproductive Rights

Socially Engaged Art

Associations with this type of art….?• Gio: Thinking about artists who create CHANGE in the world.• Dolfo: Maybe like that 22 boot piece by Plastic Jesus? • Anna: I DONT GET IT. If you see a Socially Engaged art piece how

does that change your opinion about other art?• Chess: It’s kinda hard to talk about the shading on a still life

when there’s other artists out there solving problems. • Alex: I saw this street piece that was a reenacting of a animal

testing of perfume and make up products.• .

Sometimes Called “Artivism”….this is art that serves to raise awareness to a social/political issue(s), potentially impacting the actual lives of participants/viewers.

Socially Engaged Art

Associations with this type of art….?• Taeron: An artist last year with the mattress? (Emma Sulkowicz) • Jess: I don’t know if it counts as art….but when there’s taxes on

feminine products, some women chose to walk around openly menstruating as an act of protest.

• Tash: Like a video I saw about animal rights where they had a human being tortured in ways similar to animal abuse in the fashion/makeup industries.

• A lot of Socially engaged art has an element of PERFORMANCE as well.

Sometimes Called “Artivism”….this is art that serves to raise awareness to a social/political issue(s), potentially impacting the actual lives of participants/viewers.

Socially Engaged Artist:Vik Muniz

(Brazil)

Vik Muniz Jardim Gramacho

Ironing Woman (Isis)Photography

2008Pablo Picasso Woman Ironing Oil on Canvas 1904 WASTE LAND

Opened in 2011 in Corona, QueensEngages local communities, social services, and elected officials to reform immigration laws.

108-59 Roosevelt AvenueQueens, NY 11368

Socially Engaged Artist:Tania Bruguera

(Cuba)

Socially Engaged Artist:Ai Weiwei

(China)

Sichuan Earthquake2008

Socially Engaged Artist:Ai Weiwei

Socially Engaged Artist:Pedro Reyes

(Mexico)

Pedro ReyesStudied architecture in

the 90’s

Started an experiemental project space called “Torre De

Los Vientos” from 1996-2002

basically a wacky space where

you could do fun and odd projects

Other estimates state the number is closer to 290 deaths per week in Mexico…

Fyi: An average of 170 people are killed each week in the USA’s gun-related deaths (this figure takes non-drug war deaths into consideration as well)

Stats from 2012Sources:The Atlantic

Pedro Reyes

Palas por pistolas(pistols into spades) 2008

In 2008 Reyes collected 1,527 firearmsFrom the city of Culiacán, a city plagued by drug kingpins.

Pedro Reyes


1,527 pistolas 1,527 palas 1,527 árboles

Pedro Reyes


1. People bring a gun2. 1 gun=a voucher for an electronic store3. The weapons were steamrolled into a flat sheet (at a military base)4. The metal sheet is melted at a foundry5. The metal is re-cast into shovels.6. The shovels are assembled7. The shovels are used to plan trees in public schools in Culiacán

Pedro Reyes


“THIS ‘RITUAL’ HAS A PEDAGOGICAL (educational) PURPOSE OF SHOWING HOW AND AGENT OF DEATH CAN BECOME AN AGENT OF LIFE.”

Are these ….just shovels?

Palas por pistolas(pistols into spades)

People bring a gun1 gun=a voucher for an electronic storeThe weapons were steamrolled into a flat sheet (at a military base)The melted at a foundryAnd recast as shovels, which were used to plant trees in public schools in CuliacánPLANTED 1,527 TREES

Since then, the shovels get exhibited around the world and are continued to be used to plan trees around the world.


• Khiri: WELL….these shovels were made from guns….and Reyes has taken something that causes death and turned it into something that creates life.

• Janel: They ARE just shovels….but shovels with MEANING and context. Without the context….we may just walk past it…and ignore it.

• KT: TOTES AGREE WITH JANEL. Reyes focuses on his country’s issues….and this hopefully promotes less violence. And it’s important that it’s 1 gun per tree…so show how something good can come out of something bad.

• Anna: Usually there’s a little Title card….to explain this. But if there wasn’t…Erin would just think of the seven dwarves…

• .Rizzi: If I saw this wall of shovels….it would make me even more curious.

• Kozak: This would be an uncomfortable amount of shovels….


• Angel: The TRANSITION from gun shovel represents the change from death to life. Like making a negative into a positive.

• Cailan: Physically they are shovels, but they have a story behind them. They’re more tha just a tool for digging.

• Steph: This piece has so much history behind it, and meaning too.

• Michelle: It’s kind of like him being optimistic and making the world better.

• Lina: Maybe people don’t realize that this same material could be used to make the world a better place.

• Camila: These guns show how many lives are SAVED because they exchanged their guns.

Pedro reyes

ImagineUna proyecto en la Cuidad Juarez, con 6700 armas

Pedro Reyes


Pedro Reyes


Pedro Reyes


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And the project continues!

Pedro reyesDolfo: Surprised by the different tones that he could make from this. Alex: What he said was really lovely….music makes people unite….like the opposite effect of what a weapon does. Chess: I get why the photos are mostly stringed instruments to they “read” as instruments. Also surprised by automation KT: I like how he’s using his art as a way to bring community together. Music brings people such joy!Anna: Reminds me of Wintergatan’s Marble music video. .

Raian: I figured it would just be a trigger function….but this sounds like REAL instruments. Like soft. ...

Pedro reyesTash: The effect music is to bring people together. Cailan: The way the whole music is set up is really interesting, how it’s automated.Angel: The xylophone! And those rhythmic patterns, I thought it would be louder, like gunshots…Michelle: 1. I thought it would sound like TRASH….but it was actually good!2. Surprised by how the instruments STILL look like weaponsKristen: This makes the message easier to perceive: the original gun is still intact!

Riddles: This also conveys how something destructive can turn into something GOOD.

Taeron: The way that the musicians had trouble getting over the fact that they’re working with weapons, it adds to that SHOCKING quality.

And now for something completely different..

CREATIVETIME | DOOMOCRACY

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What is Doomocracy?

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2016/10/14/theater/step-inside-a-satirical-haunted-house/s/14REYES-slide-WYUB.html

Abandon All Hopeby Nato Thompson

Two pages of electric ideas!

Read and Annotate for homework!


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What is Doomocracy?

A visit from Beth and Isabel from Creative Time!

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2016/10/14/theater/step-inside-a-satirical-haunted-house/s/14REYES-slide-WYUB.html

P7 Notes from visit….

P8 Notes from visit….

The experience starts in front of a monumental effigy Reyes created of the Statue of Liberty as a Trojan Horse, representing "this idea of how war has been normalized ... in the name of freedom."

The experience starts in front of a monumental effigy Reyes created of the Statue of Liberty as a Trojan Horse, representing "this idea of how war has been normalized ... in the name of freedom." KT: When I think Trojan Horse I think of it as a

decoy, to sneak your way into something…also France gave us this as a gift…right? So is there a secret meaning behind it?Chess: It’s like America giving us liberty but giving us war also…we see it on the news but we don’t experience it personally…so we don’t care about it that much…Alex: we get desensitized to war…think of it as a part of life. Not OUR life…but someone else’…and maybe we stop caring about them?Gio: yeah it’s NORMALIZED. Usually there’s a build up beforehand. People get anxious, but for us, since we’ve always been at war, we’re not scared of anything…

Raian: I thought of this as candidates using our nationalism to sneak into office….

The experience starts in front of a monumental effigy Reyes created of the Statue of Liberty as a Trojan Horse, representing "this idea of how war has been normalized ... in the name of freedom." Rachel: The Statue of Liberty

represents Freedom …but the Trojan Horse….?Tash: Originally the Trojan Horse was a gift…like the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom…but now it’s been turned into a symbol of war because of our citizens’ abuse of freedom…I guess??Camila: Given to us as a gift by France….but nowadays we can use our freedom to start a movement or a war. Angel: Wars are meant to “protect our freedom” but this is becoming more and more common. It’s like Freedom vs. War in a way. Camila: ALSO…the Trojan Horse was supposed to be a gift but it secretly was an INVASION to defeat other people.

Nowadays we go to countries to deliver freedom but we’re actually just getting what we want: Resources…territory.


…SCENE 0 “It’s 7pm…and you just got into an unmarked white van with a stranger!”


David Gould, Jonathan Swain, Matt Baguth, Jonny MaldonadoSCENE 1

“WHERE WERE YOU BORN?GET IN A LINE!”


Marjorie ConnSCENE 2

“GOD IS GOOD”


Gregg RizzoSCENE 3

“STUFFING PILLOWS FOR TRUMP’S NEW HOTEL IN MEXICO CITY!”


Jenny Tibbels, Sammy TunisSCENE 4 “Yeah that’s a MESSAGE SENDER…”

“Certain demographics are more likely to commit crimes than others….”


Monique VukovicSCENE 5

“COULD YOU BE MY SUPERHERO TODAY?


Matthew Korahais

SCENE 6“I LIKE TO THINK THAT THESE CHILDREN CAN ACTUALLY TASTE THE SWEETNESS IN THE AFTERLIFE…”


…

SCENE 7 DO YOU VOTE FOR THE WORKERS?DO YOU VOTE FOR YOUR GOLDEN PARACHUTE?

Chloe Sirene


Charlie GorillaMia Jessup

SCENE 8A

“DO YOU EVEN SPEAK ENGLISH?!SAY IT! GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE!”

SCENE 8B

Andrew Butler


Rena AnakweSCENE 9


Carolina DoSCENE 10 “Please….breathe…..”

“Please….inhale….”“Please….insert your face…”


Lacy Rose, Arielle Gonzalez, Megan ErmilioScene 11 “you’re gonna die!

You’re gonna die!You’re gonna die!”

Shashwat GuptaScene 12

“The year is 2100! This is when people start dying!!”


Joseph GregoriScene 13A Welcome to our privatized park!


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Clara KundinYasmin Santana Chaves

Scene 13b AHHHH!!!!! RUN AWAY!!!


Michael GolinoScene 14

….

Aida Aminpour & Siraj Huda


Scene 14 “This is a very sobering moment where you see how drones have been used in modern warfare…”

-Reyes


…Scene 15 Brantley Ivey & Dan Sheynin


Scene 16

THE END IS NOW

Pedro Reyes Speaking about Doomocracy at the Creative Time Summit in Washington DC in 2016

http://livestream.com/creativetime/summit2016/videos/138959687

52:44

• Khiri: It’s an eye opener. A reality check about things that we go about in our daily lives that we may not notice….these are REAL issues that are in our face and we don’t acknowledge them.

• Jess: We find it uncomfortable to talk about, and a lot of this is “controversial” and people don’t want to deal with having to argue….

• Anna: We ignore these problems because they don’t personally affect us…so it’s easier to ignore.

• What experience impacted us the most?• -Chess: The Drone strike• -Dolfo: All of them attacked my senses. Maybe the

gun scene.• -Khiri: The van getting pulled over….the police.• -Alex: The privatized park. Jesus planting trees!• -Derricka: The drone strike one…the only one I

didn’t laugh at.• Jessica: The sugar coffins.

• .• .

Why Experience This?

• Steph: It was INTENSE but not traumatizing. It wasn’t scary at all.

• Lina: We can see lots of different conflicts from around the world in different media.

• Jess: I wanted to see how in touch of reality I am…I watch a lot of news and I was curious if I was missing something or could get a new perspective. Most of what I believed in was showcased here.

• Wing: I wanted it to be eye opening…To experience what reality is.

• Kristen: BACK TO “SCARY” I associate this with things that make me jump or supernatural things. Scary here that this is a potential reality. Scary is…THIS IS THE FUTURE.

• Angel: This isn’t quite a haunted house…it’s usually a cheap format with monsters and creatures…but this is not the point of Doomocracy. It’s meant to open our eyes.

Why Experience This?

Meanwhile….at 42nd street and 1st ave…

Purposes of the United Nations

How many nations participate?What do they decide?What do they DO???

Pedro Reyes

(p)UnThe People’s United Nations 2013


This is an experimental conference that seeks to apply techniques and resources from social psychology, theater, art, and conflict resolution to geopolitics.

Unlike the real United Nations (UN), where delegates are appointed by states and are career diplomats, the people’s UN welcomes 193 regular citizens who live in the region and are connected by family ties or by birth to the nations represented at the UN.

For the first iteration of this collaborative performance at the Queens Museum in Queens, New York, the local performance artist group Urban Bush Women were hired by Reyes to serve as coordinators for activities and collaborators with the artist, each representative, and the ideas discussed.

Pedro ReyesOver the course of a weekend, delegates represent their countries in group activities to grapple with a set of global proposals that seem to have come from the future, but which must be addressed in the present. Although the proposals are often presented using the language of science fiction, yet they are nothing but descriptions of the real issues at stake today. Reyes has stated that this is not a model version or a critique of the existing United Nations. “pUN focuses on imagining a big encounter group. If pUN is a naïve role-play game, it is precisely the light-hearted spirit of play that will allow its participants to engage in subjects whose magnitude is otherwise overwhelming.”

Oh hi, it’s kozak.

Pedro Reyes


The Alien Auditor


Photo by Ramiro Chavez

The Alien AuditorWhat nation(s) would need to consult with the Alien Auditor?• .• .• .

• .• .• .

The Alien AuditorWhat nation(s) would need to consult with the Alien Auditor?• .• .• .

• .• .• .

Today and Tomorrow….Research

FRIDAY…….we become the

people’s United Nations.

What country(ies) would you be qualified to represent at the

People’s United Nations?What are two things that you would

make a priority to bring up?

What are three things that you wish you knew more about in your country(ies)?

Activity 1Group by continent

1. What is your connection to this country?2. How did you come to associate yourself with

this place?3. What’s a unique issue that your country faces?

Activity 2Change it up.

HEGEMONY is the an idea relating to power(dominance);who has it over another group or

individual.

What Hegemonic structures exist in your country? How is power shown to the powerless?

Parents-kidsLa policia y el puebloTeachers and studentsGrades and students

Laws and ….constitutional (human) rightsReligious institutions and worshippers

Activity 3Moving towards tomorrow

What are our next steps as we enter this global community?

Debriefing this activity…(Monday)

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Education

Pedro Reyes - Doomocracy