Not An Alternative Tactical Media Presentation: Picture New York

Filed under Presentation, projects

Event Information

Artist: Not an Alternative

This summer the Mayor’s Office of Film proposed regulations that would severely restrict the ability of even casual photographers and filmmakers to operate in New York City. These rules can be seen not only as a blow against New York as a place that welcomes and inspires art-making and documentation, but are part of a broader continuum of attacks against civil liberties and free expression.

In response, an ad hoc group of working artists, filmmakers, and photographers met, formed Picture New York, and waged a campaign that got international press attention, garnered tens of thousands of online petition signatures, YouTube public comments, letters, and on-the-ground demonstrations. Less than 2 weeks later, the proposed regulations were dismissed.

The first portion of this presentation will examine culturally-focused organizing strategies that aim to shift symbolic terrain to create social change. In the second half, we will demo how online tools were used in the Picture New York campaign, including pbwiki, citizenspeak, wordpress, Flickr, YouTube, and Facebook.

Presenters include Beka Economopoulos and Jason Jones of Not An Alternative, and new media artists Brooke Singer and Michael Mandiberg.