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Beirut’s Holiday Inn: a symbol of the Lebanese Civil War
Today April 13, marks the 46th anniversary of the beginning of the Lebanese civil war, and the abandoned Holiday Inn Hotel is one of Beirut’s war landmarks. This 26-story building officially opened in 1974 when Beirut’s economy was booming and when Beirut was one of the most visited touristic centers of the Middle East. The …
‘Reading Between The Lines’ by Jason Naylor
Jason Naylor is an award winning artist, designer, and creative director known to mural hounds and makeup mavens alike. After graduating from Brigham Young University, Naylor moved to New York City to begin his design career at MAC Cosmetics. Six years later, the artist’s biography explains, he set about on his own artistic mission, “spreading …
Live-Action Painting: An Art Response Supporting Pablo Hasel
In response to the freedom of expression movement in Barcelona, many artists expressed solidarity through a live painting session supporting Pablo Hasel and freedom of speech in Catalunya, Spain. The event was organized by artist Lucas Vico and features the work of many other big artists. The flyer advertised on Vico’s Instagram (@levico.arts) writes, “This …
Fintan Magee ‘Days Grow Longer’ Solo Show at KIRK Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark
Internationally acclaimed Australian artist Fintan Magee has been working hard during times of lockdown and is gearing up for a new solo show, Days Grow Longer at KIRK Gallery. From working-class subjects to environmentally-focused commentary, Sydney based Magee has emerged as a unique figurehead for the socially-conscious twenty-first century muralist community and is often referred to as a social realistic …
Our Own Top Ten Murals of 2020
The first steps to spring cleaning require a mess—drawers must be emptied and cobwebbed closets gutted to make space for reorganization. Clutter must be uprooted, scattered across dusty floors, and assessed. Like James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Without the initial …
The Black Palestinian Solidarity Movement
In October of 2015, more than 60 African American and Palestinian intellectuals and activists launched the “Black Palestinian Solidarity” statement of solidarity with each’s respective struggle, declaring in a video “when I see them, I see us”. The Black Palestinian Solidarity movement was born in the context of the July-August 2014 Israeli war on Gaza and the …
Herakut’s ‘Mixed Feelings’ Solo Show at KIRK Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark
The pandemic situation is thankfully now clearing up in Denmark and after a long period of closed doors; KIRK Gallery is happy to present the return of Herakut. The internationally acclaimed artist duo from Germany will premiere their upcoming solo show Mixed Feelings from March 6th. Hera (Jasmin Siddiqui) and Akut (Falk Lehmann) formed in 2004. …
Ephemeral Treasures: A Show By Dulk In New York
Spanish artist Antonio Segura, known around the world as Dulk, recently added a New York debut to his repertoire of global murals and exhibitions with Ephemeral Treasures, a solo show now on view at Spoke Art on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Hosted in cooperation with LA-based Thinkspace Projects, this latest endeavor features new paintings and …
Street Art For Mankind: #FreeTheChildren
There is no greater gift in this world than a child. All children deserve a childhood free from labor, cruelty, and abuse. Unfortunately given the world we live in, not all children are afforded the carefree childhood they deserve. Human trafficking and especially child trafficking is at an all-time high, and rates of it continue …
Creativity in Action Project In Cairo, Egypt
As part of the Creativity in Action project supported by Developing Inclusive and Creative Economies (DICE) to promote creative and social enterprises; CLUSTER’s ALFABRIKA carried out its first urban shutters workshop on December 25th – 27th 2020 in partnership with DUCO extending for an additional few days and completed by the beginning of 2021. This project builds on CLUSTER’s interest and previous track record …
Change: A Short Film By Doug Gillen Documenting The Work Of The “Void Projects” In Ferizaj, Kosovo
At the end of January, Scottish filmmaker Doug Gillen released his debut short film, CHANGE. The succinct documentary’s press release explains that CHANGE explores “the intersection of culture, activism and social change with art collective Void Projects in Ferizaj, Kosovo.” The film makes use of multiple angles pertinent to its setting—the formerly war-torn country itself …
Is This Modern Society?
In the US, a country honed on individualization and a me-centric culture, it is debatable whether a thing like privacy is a right or a myth. The Social Dilemma, a documentary that debuted on Netflix, explores how the people as users unknowingly become the product. Companies like Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Reddit, etc. keep users glued …