»Occupy-Wall Street«, »Ocularpation: Wall Street« und »Emergency Room«

Abstract

This paper argues that the Occupy-Movement and Iconography are both influenced by contemporary artistic strategies that have their roots in post-revolutionary France and post-modern Popular Culture, from Delacroix’ Liberté to the Guy- Fawkes-Meme. The generic image of the Protester such as TIME Magazine’s »Person of the Year« 2011 has been created by an artist, as well as Ocularpation: Wall Street was an initiating performance by Zefrey Throwell that triggered a global movement from the centre of New York. Art has come to declare Emergency Rooms, such as those created by artist Thierry Geoffroy aka Colonel aka Biennalist, who uses large scale exhibitions for critical interventions. Thus, anti-capitalist protest is creatively staged by artists and proliferated through social media. Both public art and public protest merge to form an aesthetic scenery in which hegemonic and financial power find their counter-image. Artistic engagement, volunteer participation and subversive strategies such as Guerrilla-Communication constitute what has recently been called »global activism« in a political agora.