“We are interested in looking at any given system. Within any given system there is something that is excluded or refused and that defines the system as much as its positive attributes. And to make visible this exclusion ultimately is our understanding of activism and that is how we function in our art practice.”
Interview with Jason Jones and Beka Economopoulos from the art and activist collective Not An Alternative about cultural forms of protest and critique, the entanglement of life, work and representation.
The interview was filmed in Antic Teatre during a self-organized international gathering of creative activism, How to End Evil. 5 Days of Art and Activism, 27 to 31 of March, 2012, organized by Enmedio.
Barcelona, March 2012
read the interview >>
*Not An Alternative is a dynamic collective of activists, artists, designers, and others based primarily in Brooklyn, New York, who have come together in various capacities since 2004 to produce actions, interventions and installations with the goal of challenging the dominance of neoliberal ideology by disrupting the symbols and gestures it has incorporated into its structures and functions. Integrating art, activism, and theory, the collective encourages rethinking around events, symbols, and history.
Although a number of people have worked with Not An Alternative over the years, Beka Economopoulos and Jason Jones are core, sustaining members. The group produces and curates work that questions and leverages the tools of advertising, architecture, exhibit design, branding, and public relations. Their programs are hosted at a variety of venues, including their own gallery No-Space. No-Space hosts free lectures, screenings, panel discussions, workshops, and artist presentations. The space also consists of a production workshop, film studio, and video editing suite. Topics they address are varied in nature, including directly opposing neoconservative trends in US politics, as well as social and environmental injustice, such as gentrification and homelessness, clear cutting, oil and gas fracking, and food security. During the day, No-Space is a co-working office for cultural producers and other freelancers.
