Looking for novel ways to express a political protest? These may inspire.

No 9 Posted by fw, April 18, 2010

How about a postcard protest? That’s what the Muskoka Arts and Crafts Inc (MAC) is doing. MAC is calling on artists from around the world to send a message to G8 leaders who will be attending their annual summit meeting in Huntsville, Ontario this June.

“Postcards to the G8” invites postcard-sized artistic expressions of issues of public concern in their home countries. Deadline for entry to the contest is May 15. Entry forms and additional information are available here.

For his entry, Ottawa artist Mendelson Joe has submitted a grotesque portrait of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper with two glaring, empty, red eye sockets. Not sure how Mr Joe has titled his entry, but I think “Eyeless in Gaza” might be appropriate.

Stephen Harper portrait by Mendelson Joe

If art is not for you, perhaps you’ll be inspired by this photo of two snoozers wearing Ignatieff-Harper masks at a Vancouver protest. They were, of course, mocking the federal leaders for climate change inaction. At least they knew what they were doing. The Gazette story, Paler Shades of Green, accompanying the photo is available here.

Photo by Andy Clark, Reuters File Photo, The Gazette

For those who prefer video games, the Polaris Institute and Insidious Design have just launched Canada’s first tar sands video game, Tar Nation. The name is possibly a clever play on the word “tarnation”, which is a euphemism for “hell”. Polaris’ news release introducing the game describes it as a flash driven game visually set in a tar sands refinery, allowing players to spray oil at Stephen Harper and Michael Ignatieff to get them out of the tar sands. Play the game online at: www.tarnation.ca