Art has always flourished on the fertile ground of protest and revolution so it’s perhaps no surprise that Occupy Wall Street art and culture activists are looking to get their own permanent art space.
Artists form one of the largest groups within the movement and have been behind most of Occupy Wall Street’s creative posters, puppets and related artwork. They now want to find a multi-functional space for studio work, concerts, performances, exhibitions, film screenings, art classes for children and much more, the Art Newspaper reports.
Art produced and inspired by the protesters and their ideas has already featured in several exhibitions held in public galleries. However as the powers that be are constantly suppressing the movement, finding a haven from harassment is a logical move.
The group’s expectations are also quite high and they have not yet found a suitable option. “There are some great precedents here in New York of art spaces emerging from protest. We're trying to learn about those, and reach out to the folks who helped establish them for inspiration and guidance,” Paul McLean, a member of the arts and culture committee, told the Art Newspaper.
The Arts and Culture committee of the New York City General Assembly, the name given to the New York branch of Occupy, is planning on using shared office space on Wall Street with other Occupy groups.
Another offer has come from the Hyperallergic arts blog, which has put forward the option of borrowing space in its Brooklyn offices. Source