PROTEST BANNER LENDING LIBRARY
In January of 2017, I moved to Chicago, USA from Pune, India. My world, workspace and context was turned upside down, as was the US with the recent victory of President Trump. I started as a collaborator on Aram Han Sifuentes's project, the Protest Banner Lending Library at its first residency at the Chicago Cultural Centre where I facilitated banner making, managed the lending of banners and created a system for the incoming and outgoing banners.
I also got a chance to do a mural on a wall in the Cultural Centre.
Here, I found vibrant voices, beliefs and opinions like and unlike my own, and strengthened my connect with the city.
March On!
Mural celebrating a collection of creatures joined in peaceful protest
Protest Banner Lending Library Residencies:
2017: Facebook Artist in Residence, Facebook, Chicago, IL
2017: Take Action, Alphawood Gallery, Chicago, IL
2017: DCASE Public Studio, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
Exhibitions:
2017: Protest Banner Lending Library, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
2017: Wave Your Freak Flag by the Protest Banner Lending Library, Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago, IL
2017: VIP: Very Important Platforms, EXPO Chicago, 6018North and 3Arts, Chicago, IL
Workshops:
2017: Protest Banner Making Workshops, Alphawood Gallery, Chicago, IL
2017: Protest Banner Making Workshop, Pick Museum at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL (Vero)
2017: Protest Banner Making Workshops, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
Press
2017: Borrelli, Christopher, “Chicago Artist Creates Ingenious Library of Protest Banners”, Chicago Tribune, October 15, 2017, Print.
2017: Adamson, Glenn, “The Anatomy of the Protest Banner”, Disegno, #16, Print
2017: Morris, Kadish, “The Protest Banner Library Where You Can Rent Signs of Rage”, Broadly.Vice, September 28, 2017, https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/59dwj8/aram-han-sifuentes-protest-banner-lending-library
2017: Morris, Kadish, “Turning protest banners into striking, effective works of art”, Huck Magazine, September 13, 2017, http://www.huckmagazine.com/art-and-culture/art-2/meet-chicago-artist-running-protest-banner-library/
2017: McKean, Lise, “Expo Chicago 2017: Beyond the Numbers”, Bad at Sports, September 13, 2017, http://badatsports.com/2017/expo-chicago-2017/
2017: Borrelli, Chris, “Commentary: Look at the arts, and you’ll see the feeling of the nation is dislocation,” Chicago Tribune, September 8, 2017, https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ae-fall-preview-essay-dislocation-0910-story.html
2017: Foumberg, Jason, “Embrace the Expo”, Chicago Magazine, September 5, 2017, https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/September-2017/How-to-Buy-Art/Rule-No-5-Embrace-the-Expo/
2017: Wainwright, Oliver, “Beazley Design Awards Feature Brexit, Refugees and Political Activism, The Guardian, August 16, 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/aug/16/political-protest-equality-humanitarian-aid-inspire-best-designs-year
2017: Bertoli, Rosa, “The Design Museum reveals the shortlist for the 2017 Beazley Designs of the Year, Wallpaper, August 16, 2017, https://www.wallpaper.com/design/design-museum-beazley-designs-of-the-year-2017-shortlist#205652
2017: Holland, Oscar, “’Pussyhat’ and refugee flag shortlisted for Beazley Designs of the Year, CNN, August 17, 2017, https://www.cnn.com/style/article/beazley-designs-of-the-year-2017-design-museum/index.html
2017: Morby, Alice, “Kanye West and IKEA among Designs of the Year 2017 nominees”, Dezeen, August 16, 2017. https://www.dezeen.com/2017/08/16/kanye-west-ikea-among-designs-of-the-year-nominees-news/
