[Peace-discuss] Brandalists Take Over Paris For COP 21

[David Johnson]

Brandalists Take Over Paris For COP 21

Description: 1branda

 <https://www.popularresistance.org/category/resist/> Resist!
<https://www.popularresistance.org/tag/climate-change/> Climate Change,
<https://www.popularresistance.org/tag/cop21/> COP21,
<https://www.popularresistance.org/tag/corporatism/> Corporatism,
<https://www.popularresistance.org/tag/oil-and-gas/> Oil and Gas 
By Staff,  <http://www.brandalism.org.uk/brandalism-cop21>
www.brandalism.org.uk
November 29th, 2015

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Above photo: From Brandalism.

Paris, France - The United Nations 21st 'Conference of Parties' meeting
taking place this December is supposed to agree a global agreement to limit
greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Yet in 20 years of UN climate change talks, global emissions have risen by
63%.   Increasingly, these talks are dominated by corporate interests.  This
year's talks in Paris are being held at an airport and sponsored by an
airline.  Other major polluters include energy companies, car manufacturers
and banks.  Brandalism aims to creatively expose this corporate
greenwashing.

>From the  <http://www.brandalism.org.uk/brandalism-cop21> press release:

A massive diversion of advertising in Paris denounces the takeover of the
climate talks by multi-national corporations.

More than 600 works of art denouncing the takeover of the climate
negotiations by multi-national corporations during the COP 21 were installed
yesterday leading up to the United Nations Summit which begins Monday.

Despite the state of emergency prohibiting any gathering following the
November 13 attacks in Paris, the Brandalism Project (a neologism from the
combination of the words 'brand' and 'vandalism'), with the help of Parisian
activists, placed hundreds of unauthorized pieces of art throughout the
city. These posters emphasized the links between advertising, consumerism,
the dependence on fossil fuels and climate change.

These works of art were placed in advertising spaces belonging to JCDecaux -
one of the largest outdoor advertising businesses and an official sponsor of
the COP 21 negotiations.

Other prominent sponsors of the climate negotiations such as Air France,
Engie (formerly GDF-Suez) and Dow Chemical were parodied in the posters, as
well as heads of state such as Francois Hollande, David Cameron, Barack
Obama, Angela Merkel and Shinzo Abe.

The works of art were created by 80 renowned artists originating from
nineteen countries across the world. Included in particular were the
Parisians Alex One, Arnaud Liard, Millo and ZAD, Eube, Automedia, and
AntiCOP21.org, as well as other famous international artists such as Neta
Harari, Jimmy Cauty, Paul Insect (collaborator of Banksy), Escif ou Kennard
Phillips - many of them were shown at Dismaland, the exposition by Banksy in
England this summer.

Joe Elan of Brandalism explains, "In sponsoring the climate talks, some
important polluters such as Air France and Engie can promote themselves as
if they were part of the solution, while they are actually part of the
problem."

One of the artists that participated in the project said, "We retook
possession of advertising space because we wanted to denounce the role that
publicity plays in promoting unsustainable consumerism. The advertising
industry feeds our desires for products based on the use of fossil fuels and
that have a direct impact on climate change. As with the climate talks and
the parallel events sponsored by big business, outdoor advertising makes
sure that the wealthiest have their voices heard above all of the others."
The works of art were installed during 'Black Friday,' the annual day of
consumerist frenzy.

Other posters called people to take the streets as part of 'Climate Games,'
the biggest worldwide game of civil disobedience, and to denounce the
conference, "Solutions 21," a big business exposition that is held at the
Grand Palace during the climate talks.

Bill Posters of Brandalism indicated, "Following the tragic events of
November 13 in Paris, the government chose to ban civil society marches, but
the big business events were maintained." The multinationals responsible for
climate change can continue with 'Greenwashing' around their model of
economic destruction, but the communities directly impacted by their
activities are reduced to silence. It is now more important than ever to
denounce their messages and to put a light on the issues of power behind the
negotiations. We call to take the streets during the COP 21 and to oppose
the fossil fuel industry. We can't leave the climate talks solely in the
hands of politicians and big business lobbyists, who are primarily
responsible for the current mess.

Translated by Margaret Flowers.

 

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