oliver

oliver
8 years, 11 months ago

CATEGORIES:
FESTIVAL

5

0

Dialogue is tirelessly presented as ‘the’ solution to the problems of ‘our’ times – in art, war, love, democracy and even in the workplace. In fact, dialogue has been central to the ethos of Memefest since its inception back in 2002. But what if dialogue is not working?

RADICAL INTIMACIES: DIALOGUE IN OUR TIMES is the theme of this year’s Memefest. We’re trying to ask a dfficult question in order to honestly explore all the complicated failures and the hopeful potentialities that feed our faith in dialogue – politically, creatively, laboriously and intimately.

Respond to this proposition in the Memefest 2014 Friendly Competition.

Read more about the festival’s outlines here, or go directly to the category that interests you the most and check them out here: Visual Communication practice, Critical Writing and the participatory art/communication category 'Beyond...'!

Deadline for your submissions is September 20th. Participation is free of charge and there is no age limit or any other restriction.

We will post more soon. For now it is your turn.

Alana, Oliver & Memefest Kolektiv

oliver
8 years, 11 months ago

CATEGORIES:
media, activism

2

2

It has been a while. But I must say I have enjoyed the break. Blogging since 2003 is not always easy, although it is mostly fun, rewarding, interesting and satisfying. Sometimes though, a break is nice and good to have. No matter how I turn it around, and how much technologies change the media sphere, still- communicating through autonomous channels is one of the key elements of a public sphere worth the word public.

The digital silence on memefest.org does not mean we have not been active. We have been, and very much so, but mostly we were off line. Although considering that Memefest is a collective/network and its members are living all around the world – it seems there is no way not to go online in order to stay in touch and do stuff together. But than again, this is not really true. So we are mostly busy this days with conceptualising the new Festival theme, we started working on some redesign issues of this website, we are building new networks and have made some new wonderful friends. There is more to say about this and other things and we will very soon.

One thing that made me thinking a lot lately is something I came across while reading an interview, a conversation with Hito Steyerl. (You should read her essay “A Thing Like You and Me” and you should also watch this http://www.ubu.com/film/steyerl_andrea.html) So, she is interested in post representational politics and claims that this is where true participation can actually happen. I wrote once a text “Beyond the Image and Towards Communication” in which I discussed the inability of visual representations to develop participation (http://tinyurl.com/nsn9ybj) and I liked what I was reading a lot. But what kept me busy thinking and felling about how we communicate for the last two weeks is when Hito Steyerl was talking about the pressures of the current dominant (media) culture “to represent and be represented”. This made me even happier for not posting things online for some time. And I think she is right- isn’t this what’s happening? And it happens in ways where both things somehow merge- we represent and are represented while representing. Seriously, I think this is a damn good description of what’s happening on Facebook and actually more and more in our every day life… and to be clear in alternative communication/design/media practices as well. The ghost of self promotion rarely is not hunting our actions, it is as if the act of representing ourselves is a condition for to be able to represent something we think is worth the effort and is important to be communicated. But self- promotion does not really describe completely what’s happening… it is also more than that…

The other thing that kept me busy thinking and made me smile with a serious face was the fact that Subcomandante Marcos, spokes person and de facto leader of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) has announced his end as a powerful symbol, a representation of global proportions and huge symbolic capital. In a speech commemorating the death of compañero Galeano he announced the end of subcomandante Marcos and the birth of subcomandante Galeano. Now, it is a old Mexican tradition to take on the names of fallen compañeros, José Doroteo Arango Arámbula did it also and became Pancho Villa. But this is much more. In 1994 the Zapatistas made Marcos the public image of their movement – for good and for bad, but the strategy they developed during the twenty years of the Zapatista struggle is nothing less than amazing. We know the Zapatistas became strong to a big degree due their use of the Internet and media in general. In that sense they were ground breaking and I remember how much the media activist scene was looking at them and learning from them. While realising what he or better his image, his representation has become, this very image is now being destroyed.

But in the process of destruction there is an act of deconstruction, not unlike the one theorised in the principles of Socially Responsive Communication, as one of the seven principles being: “It self deconstructs in the communication processes with the purpose to establish a critical distance of the public to the communicator. “ But when and how, this is the question. It seems it had to be twenty years for Marcos to become Galeano. First what needed to be done is the invention of Marcos as a media image or as Marcos puts it “a hologram”. The purpose, it seems, was to create a language that those who are blind- as corporate media are- could relate to: “They can only see those who are as small as they are. Let’s make someone as small as they are, so that they can see him and through him, they can see us.” A colourful ruse as Marcos describes his own character: “So then, as I mentioned, the work of constructing this character began. One day Marcos’ eyes were blue, another day they were green, or brown, or hazel, or black — all depending on who did the interview and took the picture. He was the back-up player of professional soccer teams, an employee in department stores, a chauffeur, philosopher, filmmaker, and the etcéteras that can be found in the paid media of those calendars and in various geographies. There was a Marcos for every occasion, that is to say, for every interview.”

His speech, which destroys and deconstruct creates a critical distance between the Marcos image and the close and far publics. He speaks to his own compañeros and through the media to a global public. And of course there is immediately misunderstandings, non -understandings by big media reporting Marcos has “stepped down”, as BBC did or Marcos has “retired” as Reuters did.

The whole speech is online here (http://tinyurl.com/pygsyzp), and it’s a fascinating read as fascinating as the images you will see that have been taken at the event are.

Marcos’ image became extremely strong as a pop cultural media icon. Not far from the famous image of Che Guevara. The bar I liked to go to in Brisbane had a huge 3m poster of Marcos on the wall and it was a Hipster bar.

Marcos as an image became problematic. As a common, it became too common and it therefore created a distance. Digested by the media machine, empty rhetoric’s of politicians, the standardisation through the surface of the designed image and commercial pop culture…and … the pressure to represent and being represented.

He came to this final act of his own visual identity with some new visual elements- have a look at the eye patch and the glove: ”If you will allow me one piece of advice: you should cultivate a bit of a sense of humour, not only for your own mental and physical health, but because without a sense of humour you’re not going to understand Zapatismo. And those who don’t understand, judge; and those who judge, condemn.”

oliver
9 years, 3 months ago

CATEGORIES:
art, theory, communication, design

1

2

We are very excited to let you know about our new book. We have been working on it for more than a year and the book is as beautifull and strong in any way as was the adventure in to researching debt and making it.

The book is an investigation in to Debt as the key instrument that defines current social relations- through the lens of communication, design and art. It is both- theory and practice and a result of our extradisciplinary approach to research.

InDEBTed to Intervene, Critical Lessons in Debt, Communication, Art and Theoretical Practice is out now.

Check this link and read the table of contents, the introduction to the book and see more photos of the book too. You can also order the book here through PayPal.

http://www.memefest.org/en/indebtedtointervene/

We will hold a number of talks and discussions in the comming months starting in Slovenia and Australia. Check this space for updates on this. Also, please spread the word. It would be really good to get the book in as many hands as possible.

oliver
9 years, 6 months ago

CATEGORIES:
communication, activism, education, community

3

5

Last week we finished the official part of the second Memefest/QCA extradisciplinary seminar/workshop/direct action here at the Queensland College of Art in Brisbane. The theme was Food Democracy, and we wanted to explore it in relation to local Brisbane. We worked together with the wonderful and inspirational people of the Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy in order to strengthen the food program of the Embassy. The food program is centered around food distribution to families in need. We were looking at possibilities to widen the operation and to address the problems of Food Democracy in relation to the operations of the Embassy. This was highly ambitious. The complexity of the issues and the scope of the problems are immense.

Have a look at the event program here: http://tinyurl.com/kxch8pz

There is a lot to say and a more serious analysis will follow later and will than also be published in our Food Democracy book next year as part of our Intervention book series.

What happened was extraordinary. In short- more than 45 participants were involved during the process and worked very hard for 8 days- unpaid, outside of the official curriculum, within the formal environment of the University, for activist purposes. All here in Brisbane. Socially responsive communication, extradisciplinary investigation, direct action. Local, interstate an International participants- students, academics, activists and professionals. Two and a half days of intensive conference, than workshop model, than public intervention. And what matters, a high level of genuine collaboration among participants was established. And we sat around the sacred fire.

Now, with things like this- talking about outcomes is a tricky thing. The most obvious outcome that people are usually are interested in are material outcomes, results if you like. So here in short about them:

We developed several poster campaigns, with seven posters all together. Some to critique the existing food system, some to build awareness about the Embassy and it's activities, the sacred fire and some to connect the Embassy, based in Musgrave park, with its immediate neighborhoods.

We created three online platforms, including a platform free of direct corporate and government control that uses a special mobile phone knowledge sharing tool. This platform is now ready to go and training sessions will be started in the coming days. But it is easy to use, so actually in most of the cases the manual that is on the web site should be enough. Have a look at it here, download ojoVoz and get involved:

http://sautiyawakulima.net/base/base.php

Various communication strategies, a sticker and zine campaign. Also an online viral video was produced- have a look at it here and share it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tCdGv4KbD4

And we did a direct action in a supermarket. Kangaroo meat was bought at Coles supermarket, cooked in Musgrave park, neatly arranged and given as a free gift to consumers coming straight out of Coles- with bags full of food in their hands. Creating a temporary autonomous zone, creating a situation where food was not a commodity. A free gift from the Aboriginal Embassy to non Aboriginal people? Food is a fundamental human right and everyone should be entitled to free and healthy food? And the conversations started...with an invitation to the Sovereign BBQ in Musgrave Park.

You can listen to a part of the conversation we had when we were planning the project here:

http://sautiyawakulima.net/memefest/permalink.php?id=78

A photo journalistic project was created, showing another side of the Embassy, one that is not visible due to the biased media representations.

Another zine project is being developed and is planed to be ready in January and distributed via the Embassy's food distribution network. Two online platforms will be ready end of the month.

Now, this is mostly just descriptions without giving you much context, background and strategies. Also, this are only partly the outcomes as the whole event is a social medium and it can't be reduced to it's material outcomes.

While many of the projects were finished in the course of the event, some of us are still working on the projects that are bigger and will take time to unfold in their full potential. Not only that, participants have organized to help fundraising as well as also volunteering for the food distribution and we will continue to work further with the Embassy on several levels. Keep the fire burning!

What is also good is that we were able to document formal and informal situations of the event process with photo and sound media and have also created a special internal online archive platform that will serve for research purposes on how to develop such events - as social media for pedagogy, research and socially responsive public communication further. Evaluation of this will of course take time.

Here two things we would like to share with you now.

Among other things at the event a manifesto for Aboriginal Sovereignty, for all Australian first nation people was presented on the conference. The document is now being discussed nationwide. Here you an hear the impressive young Phil Winzer reading the manifesto:

http://sautiyawakulima.net/memefest/permalink.php?id=45

Also, listen to Aunty Karen here as she talks about the Food Program and the Aboriginal community: http://sautiyawakulima.net/base/permalink.php?id=3

It was fascinating, inspiring and incredibly enriching to learn about the Aboriginal struggle lead by the Embassy and it is fantastic that we could create this collaboration. The more I think about the event the more I become aware that in the moments of genuine, true collaboration magic happened.

How sad that so many times activists and more critically minded academics and professionals can't really collaborate with each other, and in the end remain in the straightjacket of their own interests - many times with a radical/critical/intellectual image that shows a different appearance though. I can see that everyday.

Some of the participants said that this was a life changing experience. Many of us felt that this event showed what academia should be and that this is why we went to work at the university and became academics in the first place. I personally wish more of such open spaces would exist. But what we did goes beyond academia, of course, and this is the key strategy. Connecting academia with different cultures of knowledge production and with marginal, counter cultural positions as a research method, as pedagogy, institutional critique and direct action.

Here one more thing, actually two:

The BASE meetings are every Wednesday at 18h in Musgrave Park. All are welcome. Volunteers for the food program needed, so get involved. Next, the Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy needs our donations. The money will go directly to their food program. 10 AUD bi- weekly donation helps already a lot and you probably wont really notice it.


Each week the BASE Community Food program is providing food parcels to between 50 to 70 families across Brisbane - in Acacia Ridge, Inala, Stafford, Ipswich and more. The program is working on creating a stable income to continue and expand this work. We are looking for 60 of our supporters who can contribute $10/fortnight - this will enable us to expand the program significantly. The primary cost of running the program is the food we collect from the Foodbank - but it is here that your contribution can go a very long way. A $10 contribution can cover the cost of 20 boxes of cereal or 50 bags of rice or 50 canned meals or 10 boxes of sausages....the list goes on, but basically we can make $10 go a very long way!

BASE Community Food Program
Bank: NAB
BSB: 084-447
Account: 156724064
Please include name as reference

Here is the email address, if you want to get involved: basefoodprogram@gmail.com

Thanks to all the participants, the Embassy, and members of the Memefest Kolektiv, for making this happen. We did it! Thanks also to QCA for hosting the event. See you at the fire in Musgrave part, every Wednesday at 18h!

Participants and collaborators of the event:

Recipients of the Memefest/QCA Award for Imaginative Critical Intervention:

Eugenio Tiselli, Miha Mazzini, Marko Plahuta, Mariano Mussi and Mohammad Naser

Other Participants:

Nancy Stilianos
Tania Olszewski
Oscar Waugh
Kelsey Hutchinson
Sophie van der Drift
Thomas Roohan
Cherie Davis
Adrian Doidge
Shaun Cruickshank
Melanie Gupta
Ani Dorante
Pen Donovan
Dru Handebo
Brett Weekes
Belinda Li
Cory Wright
Alban Vinevel
Denise Schilk
Tyler Zebra
Dylan Leak
Bill Platz
Ilewellyn Millhoue
Michell Gunther
Susan Ostling
Khamhou Phanludeth
Hui-Wen Cheng
Carley Jane Steel
Hamish Chitts
KC Newnam
Sam Burch
Tristan Stonhill
Russell Fuller
George Petelin
Oliver Vodeb
Ben Mangan
Manfred Huber
Jason Grant
Alan Hill
Zala Volcic
Mark Andrejevic
Robert Perkin
Bianca Beetson
Phil Winzer

oliver
9 years, 7 months ago

CATEGORIES:
activism, education, community

0

1

We are excited to announce this year’s special Memefest /QCA workshop. A few more days to go and we will meet in Brisbane. Bellow you can find information regarding the event and the program.

GOALS: The workshop/seminar aims to research FOOD DEMOCRACY in relation to current Brisbane. The whole event will focus on the Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy and its radical food program. We will work together with BASE members to create a process that will help us to understand possibilities for imaginative critical direct action. Communication tools, strategies and tactics will be developed and used - as reality resists knowledge, direct action is necessary.

Our goal is also to contribute to the development of a local scene engaged in critical theory and practice, reflecting public effects of communication/design, art and education, connecting the university's potentials with bold non-institutionalised counter cultures and initiatives.

What follows bellow is the program of the event, and bellow some resources for you to check before the event.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Event takes place at the Queensland College of Art. Building: Webb Centre: Level 4 (Design Department) Rooms 4.35 and 4.36
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

MONDAY Nov 4

10.00 Registration & Welcome to Country

10.30 Introductions of participants

10.50 Sam Burch-UQ Lecture: "Time for Sovereignty: First Nations Rights and Food Democracy."

11.30 Radical research methodologies panel discussion- facilitated by Dr Oliver Vodeb-Memefest/QCA: Dr Zala Volcic- UQ, Dr George Petelin- QCA, Jason Grant-Jordan Mcguire: Inkahoots -Ben Mangan: Inkahoots/Memefest/Uni Ballarat)

12.30 Lunch

1.30 A look in to last years Memefest Brisbane workshop/intervention:Dr George Petelin and Dr Oliver Vodeb

2.00 Dr Bil Platz Lecture-QCA: Zombie culture in protest and activism

2.45 Dr George Petelin Lecture: Problems with Food: Production, Distribution, Mediation, Consumption

3.30 Excursion to Voice and Reason, with a tour of the exhibition conducted by curators at the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA).

*The exhibition highlights contrasting voices and draws attention to the reasoning, knowledge and experience behind the work of Indigenous artists, some in dialogue with works by non-Indigenous artists.

5.00 Group discussions outside of GOMA

6.30 Design Exhibition at QCA


TUESDAY Nov 5


Recipients of the Memefest/QCA 2013 Award for Imaginative Critical Intervention presentations

10.00 Mohammad Naser (Bangladesh)
10.30 Dr Miha Mazzini and Marko Plahuta (Slovenija)
11.00 Mariano Mussi (Argentina)

11.30 Robert Perkin- Food Connect, Lecture: 'The democracy principle, getting real!’

12.15 Break

12.30 Lecture/Presentation Aboriginal Culture, the Sovereign Embassy & Food Distribution: Wayne Wharton, Karen Fusi

13.30 Lunch

14.00 Dr Mark Andrejevic- UQ, Lecture "Curtailing Surveillance: Ag-Gag Laws and Activism"

14.45 Alana Hunt Lecture: "Don't expect a thank you, and other myths and misfits of the outback"


15.30 Recipient of the Memefest/QCA 2013 Award for Imaginative Critical Intervention: Eugenio Tiselli Skype Presentation (from Kigali, Rwanda): ojoVoz project/ICT and Agriculture

16.15 Break

16.25 Dr Oliver Vodeb Lecture: "Everybody Must Get Stoned! Food, Drugs and Social Control"

17.00 Break

cca 18h Evening and light dinner at the Woolongabba art gallery

WEDNESDAY November 6th

9.30 Presentation of works related to Aboriginal culture and/or Food democracy: QCA academics and students:

9.30 Bianca Beetson
9.50 Dr Susan Ostling
10.10 Bob Mercer

10.30 Oscar Waugh
10.45 Thomas Roohan
11.00 Sophie Van der Drift
11.15 Dru Handebo
11.30 Kelsey Hutchinson

11.45 Break

12.00 Phil Winzer, Boe Spearim, Callum Clayton Dixon: Presentation of the Aboriginal Sovereignty Manifesto

13.00-14.00 Lunch

14.00 Workshop in groups

18.00 Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy meeting in Musgrave Park

19.30 Drinks in West End

THURSDAY November 7th


10.00 Critical Photo Journalism and Presentation of the Australian Photo Journalist publication: Food Issue, Alan Hill and Joe Ruckli

11.00 Workshops

12.30 Lunch

13.30 Critiques on workshop process including Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy members

14.30 Workshops

17.00 Movies on Indigenous Culture and Food Issues

18.00 Evening: Free


FRIDAY November 8th


9.30 Workshop- Group Work

12.30 “Political cooking” (concept/theme to be announced)
Lunch at QCA

13.30 Workshop

18.00 Free evening

SATURDAY November 9th

11.00 Workshop /production of media

13.00 Lunch

14.00 Workshop /production of media

19.00 Party at Bob’s

SUNDAY November 10th

Direct Action/Documentation (groups do the direct action according to the developed strategies)

MONDAY November 11th

Morning: if necessary still direct action

11.00 Critique/Discussion of results with Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy, planning and strategies for future collaboration

12.30 Planned Skype meeting with Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Canberra

14.00 (Maybe) Boondal Bush Tucker Guided Tour

17.00 Celebration/ picnic in the park


**************

Pre event preparation:

Download and read “The Militant Research handbook”:

http://www.visualculturenow.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/MRH_Web.pdf

Download and read: “A Userr's Guide to Demanding the Impossible”:

http://www.memefest.org/en/gallery/works2010-11/448/

Have a look at the four part documentary about the history of the National Embassy in Canberra, which is part of the history of the Embassy in Brisbane too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIdi1seNbA&feature=youtu.be

And also check the video about the Brisbane Embassy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhTUWspWP1A&feature=youtu.be

oliver
9 years, 7 months ago

CATEGORIES:
media, activism, education, community

0

2

So..here we go. Bellow is a draft of the program for the event here in Brisbane that will take place from the 4.11.-11.11. http://tinyurl.com/l3m28mm

(update (25.10): there have already been few changes made since this was posted)

Have a look, especially the event participants, and let us know what you think. The finished version will be published end of this following week.


MONDAY Nov 4

10.00 Registration & Welcome to Country

10.30 Introductions of participants

11.00 Food Democracy Lecture (speaker to be announced)

11.30 Radical research methodologies panel discussion (Zala Volcic- UQ, George Petelin- QCA, Jason Grant-Jordan Mcguire-Ben Mangan: Inkahoots, Oliver Vodeb-Memefest/QCA)

12.30 Lunch

1.30 A look in to last years Memefest Brisbane workshop/intervention: George Petelin and Oliver Vodeb

2.00 Bil Platz Lecture-QCA: Zombie culture in protest and activism

2.45 George Petelin Lecture: Problems with Food: Production, Distribution, Mediation, Consumption

3.30 Excursion to Voice and Reason, with a tour of the exhibition conducted by curators at the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA).
*The exhibition highlights contrasting voices and draws attention to the reasoning, knowledge and experience behind the work of Indigenous artists, some in dialogue with works by non-Indigenous artists.

5.00 Group discussions outside of GOMA

6.30 Design Exhibition at QCA

TUESDAY Nov 5

Recipients of the Memefest/QCA 2013 Award for Imaginative Critical Intervention presentations

9.30 Mariano Mussi (Argentina)
10.00 Miha Mazzini and Marko Plahuta (Slovenija)
10.30 Mohammad Naser (Bangladesh)

11.00 Robert Perkin Food Connect, Lecture: 'The democracy principle, getting real!’

11.45 Break

12.00 Lecture/Presentation Aboriginal Culture, the Sovereign Embassy & Food Distribution: Wayne Wharton, Karen Fusi

13.00 Lunch

14.00 Mark Andrejevic Lecture "Curtailing Surveillance: Ag-Gag Laws and Activism"

14.45 Alana Hunt Lecture: On Aboriginal Art and Intercultural communication/relations/problems

15.30 Eugenio Tiselli Skype Presentation (from Kigali, Rwanda): ojoVoz project/ICT and Agriculture

16.15 Break

16.25 Oliver Vodeb Lecture: "Everybody Must Get Stoned! Food, Drugs and Social Control"

17.00 Break

cca 18h Evening and dinner at the Woolongabba art gallery

WEDNESDAY November 6th

9.30 Presentation of works related to Aboriginal culture and/or Food democracy: QCA academics and students:

9.30 Bianca Beetson
9.50 Susan Ostling
10.10 Bob Mercer

10.30 Oscar Waugh
10.45 Thomas Roohan
11.00 Sophie Van der Drift
11.15 Dru Handebo
11.30 Kelsey Hutchinson

11.45 Break

12.00 Phil Winzer, Boe Spearim, Callum Clayton Dixon: Presentation of the Aboriginal Sovereignty Manifesto

13.00-14.00 Lunch

14.00 Workshop in groups

18.00 Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy meeting in Musgrave Park

19.30 Drinks in West End

THURSDAY November 7th


10.00 Critical Photo Journalism and Presentation of the Australian Photo Journalist publication: Food Issue, Alan Hill and Joe Ruckli

11.00 Workshops

12.30 Lunch

13.30 Critiques on workshop process including Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy members

14.30 Workshops

17.00 Movies on Indigenous Culture and Food Issues

18.00 Evening: Free


FRIDAY November 8th


9.30 Workshop- Group Work

10.30 “Political cooking” lunch Cooking session (concept/theme to be announced)

12.30 Lunch at QCA

13.30 Workshop

18.00 Free evening

SATURDAY November 9th

11.00 Workshop /production of media

13.00 Lunch
14.00 Workshop /production of media

19.00 Party at Bob’s

SUNDAY November 10th

Intervention/Documentation (groups do the intervention according to the developed strategies)

MONDAY November 11th

Morning: if necessary still intervention
11.00 Critique/Discussion of results with Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy, planning for future collaboration

12.30 Planned Skype meeting with Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Canberra


14.00 Boondal Bush Tucker Guided Tour


17.00 Celebration/ picnic in the park

oliver
9 years, 8 months ago

CATEGORIES:
activism, community

2

6

This years Memefest event will be held from November 4th to November 11th in Brisbane. We are very exited to announce that the project will be a special collaboration with the Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy. Investigating further the topic of Food Democracy, we will focus on the Embassy's food program and create communication design/art that will through intervention in the city of Brisbane aim to support the Aboriginal Embassy's efforts to distribute food among local deprivileged aboriginal (and other) communities as well as make the general Embassy's voice more heard.

The international event will be structured as a conference- seminar/workshop/direct action. Workshop will be mentored. Participation at the event is by invitation only however we are open for anyone that is interested to collaborate, so let us know via email, we will be happy to hear from you.

The event is hosted by the Queensland College of Art and is part of the second Memefest/QCA Award for Imaginative Critical Intervention. Read more about it and check the curated works and their authors here:

http://www.memefest.org/en/memeblog/2013/08/harvest/

Before the event there will be a preparation phase: texts, films, discussions. We will also work till November with members of the Brisbane Sovereign Aboriginal Embassy to distill the issues we will research and work on.

For now have a look at the four part documentary about the history of the National Embassy in Canberra, which is part of the history of the Embassy in Brisbane too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIdi1seNbA&feature=youtu.be

And also check the video about the Brisbane Embassy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhTUWspWP1A&feature=youtu.be

We will announce in the coming weeks more details about the event. You can check what happened on our last years event, here:

http://www.memefest.org/en/event/

More soon! :)