Reclaim Space

[which doctor]

Get in the pleasurable habit of reclaiming every space you pass through. The inanimate objects of our "natural environment" already speak the language of power: billboards, private property, traffic directions. Here are just a few ways we can use to teach them to sing another tune.

Stencil clever phrases like "DON'T SHOP, it only encourages them." and, "There is too such a thing as a free lunch!" onto crack-and-peel sticker paper, cut them out into speech bubbles and decorate billboards and bus stop advertisements. Use readily available and free FEDEX or Kinkos' stickers for a more compact bubble.

Take a marker with you everywhere you go—to the offices, schools, restaurants, stores in your neighborhood—leaving educational graffiti and urban artwork in your wake.

Revise and revamp signs and placards with stickers and illustrating utensils, adding or removing words to change the meaning or the context. Post site-specifc stickers—"out of order" on vending machines, "Fortified with 100% pure Iraqi blood" on fuel pumps, add "Capitalism:" above DEAD END roadsigns, or "Ballot Box" to garbage cans during an election—with all the pomp and precision due an official pronouncement, on power boxes and display windows, deside toll booths and cash registers, in grocery stores and elevators and dressing rooms and classrooms.

Put glass etching solution (hydrofluoric acid) on the windows of corporations or agencies that you think need a wake-up call, if a brick would attract too much attention; if you want to make it clear why you’re doing it, try applying the solution through a stencil expressing your message! If a brick is called for, dress up nice, carry it in your purse, and apply it without ever having to take it out.

Adhere posters to flat surfaces with wheat paste. You can cook up this solution by mixing three parts wheat flour and one part corn starch, boiling that in water (at proportions of two parts starch to three parts water), and cooking it down to a paste. Hurry to stick up posters everywhere with it before it dries. You can keep your wheat paste warm and wet longer in winter by carrying it around in a drink cooler.

[apathy maybe]

These are all good ideas. But one caveat, don't get caught.

[Mujer Libre]

I find that the backs of toilet doors are a good place for writing stuff, or even carrying out a little debate. And you have a..... captive audience. :P

The problem is when you're stuck in a cubicle, and someone's written something really reactionary on the wall, and you don't have a marker! So do what FoB says and carry a marker everywhere.

If you use public computers you can change the screensaver or background. And if you're in Australia, and there are those phone booths with Grant Hackett talking to himself... make them have a progresive conversation. You know you want to.

[rioters bloc]

and also read hakim bey's 'poetic terrorism' and 'art sabotage;

[razboz]

Not getting caught is good.

Also try to get symbols of power: Cop-cars, Cop-stations, Cops, Military, etc...

Something i have found to be fun and vaguely rewarding is taking over the vusual space. Waléking around with large bords painted with pregressive slogansis a winner, as is sitting down in a circle with asome friends, placing the afor-mentioned boards around you thus creating a sort of barricade. Doing this is obtrusive locations such as busy buisness streets and around shoppiing centers is often fun. I dont think this counts as action really, as the main aim os to create a bit of visual pollution that can be moved from location to location and cant be removed compeltely. Result: a bunch of slightly more educated citizens a some rather pissed off Pigs...

[drain.you]

Interesting ideas being mentioned here. We should get some people together to do a city every month or something, like travelling to Leeds, London, Liverpool, Durham, Newcastle, Glasgow,etc and doing some of this stuff in groups around the main areas.


and also read hakim bey's 'poetic terrorism' and 'art sabotage;
Are there copies of these books online or we have to go buy them?

[Red Polak]

Originally posted by [email protected] 8 2006, 07:47 PM

and also read hakim bey's 'poetic terrorism' and 'art sabotage;
Are there copies of these books online or we have to go buy them?
Poetic terrorism:
http://isp2.projects.v2.nl/freezone/ZoneTe...errorismBS.html (http://isp2.projects.v2.nl/freezone/ZoneText/Diversions/Broadsheets/PoeticTerrorismBS.html)

Art Sabotage:
http://isp2.projects.v2.nl/freezone/ZoneTe...SabotageBS.html (http://isp2.projects.v2.nl/freezone/ZoneText/Diversions/Broadsheets/ArtSabotageBS.html)

[drain.you]

Thanks for the links comrade Red Polak :)

[edit] Oh darn, thought the links were to the full books, nevermind, thanks anyway :)

[Red Polak]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2006, 12:25 AM
Thanks for the links comrade Red Polak :)

[edit] Oh darn, thought the links were to the full books, nevermind, thanks anyway :)

here's the whole thing:
http://www.hermetic.com/bey/taz_cont.html


Other works here:
http://www.hermetic.com/bey/

[drain.you]

ah, thats great :D

[pedro san pedro]

Mujer Libre Posted on May 17 2006, 02:55 PM
I find that the backs of toilet doors are a good place for writing stuff, or even carrying out a little debate. And you have a..... captive audience. tongue.gif

The problem is when you're stuck in a cubicle, and someone's written something really reactionary on the wall, and you don't have a marker! So do what FoB says and carry a marker everywhere.

If you use public computers you can change the screensaver or background. And if you're in Australia, and there are those phone booths with Grant Hackett talking to himself... make them have a progresive conversation. You know you want to.

i saw some graffiti ina public toilet recently, writtern very very small, right at the bottom of the door so that you had to lean forward to read it. it read 'you are now sitting at a 45 degree angle'. made me laugh, it did.

[OneBrickOneVoice]

Put glass etching solution (hydrofluoric acid) on the windows of corporations or agencies that you think need a wake-up call

Oh yes just pull it out of the air. And nevermind the cameras on the walls of the corporate buildings.

[atlas]

Don't know if it's been said or not, but RATM had a good idea on one of their album inserts: Writing messages on money such as "You are not a slave" or "BURN ME" This is good because it gets circulated to everybody, and because it makes it unreadable to soda machines, ie Coca-Cola or Pepsi. You could do this by tearing off the corners too, but writing messages is so much more fun... =)


Speaking of this just gave me a cool idea though...making mini-stencils for dollar bills...I'll get back to you guys on that...

[which doctor]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2006, 10:28 PM
it makes it unreadable to soda machines
I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm so happy to get a dollar bill that doesn't even work in a vending machine.

/sarcasm

[atlas]

Well of course it's all part of the international communist conspiracy to make the capitalist pigs drink the fluoridated water. ;)



EDIT: See: 'Dr. Strangelove Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb'

[razboz]

Speaking of this just gave me a cool idea though...making mini-stencils for dollar bills...I'll get back to you guys on that...

Small stencils are real difficult to spray, i advise using a roller or a relally thick pen you just press down. Writting on money is an ineresting idea. In most countries its a federal crime, though i have never heard of this being enforced.

Someting rather amusing to do with monez is to glue it on walls if zou have lots of it, or get a reallz good colour photocopier and make photocpies of them. Then pastie the photocopies on the street. Watching buisnessmen rip what thez think is mony of the pavement is always amusing.

[Tree_Hugger]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10 2006, 03:28 AM
Don't know if it's been said or not, but RATM had a good idea on one of their album inserts: Writing messages on money such as "You are not a slave" or "BURN ME" This is good because it gets circulated to everybody, and because it makes it unreadable to soda machines, ie Coca-Cola or Pepsi. You could do this by tearing off the corners too, but writing messages is so much more fun... =)


Speaking of this just gave me a cool idea though...making mini-stencils for dollar bills...I'll get back to you guys on that...
I do that with all of the paper money i have; i write 'IMPEACH' (implying George Bush) in sharpie. Money really is the best way to spread political messages, because no one is gunna destroy money, even if they disagree with what is written on it ;)

[Comrade J]

It's not really relevant to the original post and the idea of the thread, but it fits in with the general theme of this thread so far - stick a pound to the floor in a city/town centre with super glue (or use a coin from your country that people are likely to pick up) and watch people walk past and try and pick it up, it works best in front of benches where people are likely to see it. It can be quite amusing for 20 minutes or so for you and your friends.

[An archist]

Other DIY-tips:

Cop cars ahhh, sweet copcars:

This one may be a little hard to do, since it was quite specific.
A few months ago: a national bank launched an advertising campaign with boomerang cards, the boomeran cards featured big white L's on a blue background: to put on a car when you're still learning to drive. As you may know, these boomerang cards can be found almost anywhere, so me and some friends gathered huge amounts of them and started putting them on cop cars.

Or: just screw off the back licence plate off a copcar, due to all the adminstration it usually takes 2-3 months before the car can go back on the streets again :D