Art can be a very powerful tool when used to convey a message to viewers. For centuries, artists have used their works to expose ugly truths, to emphasize major issues in society, and to call people to immediate action. For this reason, Madonna has recently partnered with Vice, an interactive media company, to organize a project called “Art for Freedom,” that seeks to raise public awareness of social justice through art. The famous pop singer established this project following Vice’s initial viewing of a film titled “Secretprojectrevolution” that depicts violence, prejudice, and indifference throughout various nations.
Art for Freedom is not only a campaign exploring the meaning of freedom and revolution to individuals across the world, but is also an online competition inciting artists to create videos, photos, visual arts pieces, and poems that highlight the subject. One winner will be chosen each month for a year. This week, Madonna revealed the first winner of the contest, Lesmack Meza Parente. Parente, a native of Mexico, submitted a video compilation entitled “El Gran Dictador” that included clips from Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator,” released in 1940, and modern illustrations focusing on the civil aspect of the movie. He will be given the opportunity to select a nonprofit organization to which Madonna will donate $10,000.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsQKWLtQZx0
I think the use of art to call attention to significant issues is particularly effective because art appeals to the senses. It is also a form of self-expression and a means of communication. Parente’s video, for example, emotionally entrances its audience while illuminating suppression in society. I believe that the Art for Freedom project supports a great cause and that artists should continue attempting to disclose important societal problems through their work. Madonna hopes that this initiative will encourage free speech and challenge existing global oppression. On her website, she comments, “I want to help give a creative voice to those who have been silenced and denied their human rights … I am inviting all people to express their thoughts on the subject of freedom whether it’s describing specific persecution they have experienced, sharing how their rights have been violated and / or sharing their ideas creatively regarding fighting injustice.”
Link to Article:
Sources:
Kozinn, Allan. “First Winner Named in Madonna’s ‘Art for Freedom’ Project.” The New York Times – Arts Beat. The New York Times Company, 03 Nov. 2013. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. <http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/first-winner-named-in-madonnas-art-for-freedom-project/?ref=design>.
“Join #ArtForFreedom.” Art For Freedom. Vice, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. <http://artforfreedom.com/>.
“Madonna Announces Art For Freedom Grants Program.” Madonna. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013. <http://www.madonna.com/news/title/madonna-announces-art-for-freedom-grants-program>.
I agree with you. I think that this is a great way to express oneself. Especially being that freedom is such a broad topic, it would be really interesting to see how different views on freedom turn out. In America, even though we pride ourselves in freedom of speech, religion, etc., many groups still feel like we lack freedom. Women for example, lacking freedom to speak out about wage inequality. Immigrants also, feeling like they lack freedom to speak out about issues like their status, wages, and children. Thinking outwards, how would freedom in a country like America differ from one in country where the government is oppressive, like North Korea? It is so interesting to me because there are so many layers of people who see freedom differently. One word, with a different meaning to every country, to every group, to every person. There is no universal meaning to freedom and art proves that.
Janice Fong
Like you said art is a way of expressing oneself to others, to communicate ideas to others and sometimes to persuade them to commence some actions. When I talked about conveying a strong message to the readers, I can’t help but think about political cartoons. These simple drawing reflects to the readers the strong political opinions held by the author. These messages conveyed by art often has a positive effect on the growth of our society. While on the other hand it was not uncommon that art turned into tools of evil. Propaganda that led the minds of citizens astray was also a form of art. The Germans in WWII was a great example of the success of such kind of art, resulting in the German hatred and genocide of the Jews. As a conclusion it is safe to view art as a strong advocate machine that could do both good and evil.
It really is invaluable for individuals to express how they feel. Art is definitely a productive way to illuminate the problems of our society-and there certainly are many. This is a great idea and the fact that the money from the “winning” entries go to charity is a win-win situation. Also, your description of Parente’s video was beautifully worded.
This is definitely a very interesting article and project. While “Art for Freedom” may seem like a unique venture, it may surprise people to know that such endeavors have been made throughout history. That, however, does not make the current campaign any less significant and creative.
The first thing I thought of when I was reading your review was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Marriage of Figaro, which satirized society’s suppression of the lower classes and abuses by the nobles. Since Madonna’s project aims to satirize our society as well, it would be safe to conclude that art, trend, and history repeat themselves.
In addition, “Art for Freedom” promises new opportunities for aspiring artists and victims of some form of persecution. This serves as a new medium for exposing our flaws as a world, creating a more democratic society, and bringing new talent at the forefront.
I fully support the cause because I want to hear different perspectives of the world. As Americans, we are so accustomed to freedom that we sometimes forget its value; those who are suppressed know the struggle freedom encompasses. Being aware of that will make us more responsive to the global situation since we are an interdependent society, at large. I hope this collaboration raises awareness and results in positive changes (in social and political realms) around the world.
After reading your blog post and the article, I took the time to find the archive of submissions. Every single piece was incredible: exposing problems that range from cuban dictatorships to social inequalities in the USA to the unfair treat of the mentally ill. The “contest” calls for changes in every part of the world, no matter how large or how small they may be. In fact I think the project itself is a work of art, stimulating the minds of the submitter as well as the viewer and making the world see things in a new light, with a whole gamut of emotions in between. #Artforfreedom allows people to illuminate the need for change without violence.
It is interesting to find out such campaigns are currently happening to promote freedom in the world. The fact that this is carried out through different mediums of art makes it even more appealing; I have always associated arts with freedom, and that it should be not be manipulated for any other means. It is important to spread the idea of freedom globally, especially those who have never experienced such basic human right. Many parts of the world are still fighting for it, and we should at least recognize their efforts. Art combined with campaign is an excellent way to do so, and I wish to see more of these events take place in the future.
I found your blog post and article to be very interesting. Art has the power to communicate strong messages and express deep emotions. I think campaigns such as Art for Freedom offers a good outlet for young, artistic people to be creative as well as shine a light on important issues affecting society. I also think that this method is particularly effective. Personally, I believe art is a different and creative way to connect to the public about many causes such as basic human rights. It is important to stress freedom and rights because it is often overlooked because we fortunately live in a country that prides itself on freedom; however, many countries still lack this freedom and these basic human rights. This program truly emphasizes freedom of expression and allows artists to free convey their message to a large audience.
Art is often a very powerful medium in which people can communicate their ideas and highlight the zeitgeist of the times. This instance seems like a good platform for young artists to express their creativity, and to further the importance of common issues of the current time period. Art is a great medium in which people can communicate their feelings and ideals. The concept of the squeaky hinge gets oiled can be referenced here with regards to the importance of getting attention for important issues such as freedom which people in the United States often take for granted but are so repressed and oppressed in other countries. It would be great if this program can get a lot of attention for these issues.