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OVERTAKEN BY REALITY: SATIRE INSIDE A DYSTOPIA

Between the Pope auctioning off his autographed Lamborghini for charity, Lockheed Martin bidding to run NHS GP surgeries, and the FBI’s social media tributes to Martin Luther King Jr, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that satire is dead. And maybe it is. As an artist who uses satire in my work I’ve been overtaken by reality more than once, and sometimes wondered if maybe I’m not making jokes, but accidentally producing comically malevolent ideas that could actually be used by the bastards who run the place.

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ART THE ARMS FAIR

My neon ‘BOMBS’ sign in the window of the @artthearmsfair exhibition which opened today, alongside a photograph of a genuine free gift given out to arms fair delegates at DSEI, collected by the artist and undercover arms fair attendee @jill_gibbon. The exhibition is at 50 Brook St, London W1K 5DR. Open 11-16th Sept 12pm-8pm, and on the 15th &17th Sept 12pm-5:30pm

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STOP THE ARMS FAIR

I made a poster to promote @ArtTheArmsFair‘s ‘Bomb Boutique’ exhibition which opens in London next week, and to draw attention to the world’s biggest arms fair, DSEI, which is currently attempting to arrive at London’s ExCel Centre but is being heroically resisted by StopTheArmsFair and other groups.⁠ ⁠ There’s a stomach-turning irony that the building that was used to house the NHS Nightingale Hospital is currently being turned into a showroom for machines that kill people.⁠ ⁠ If you have the time please consider getting involved with the blockade and protest of DSEI. Stop The Arms Fair are there every day in the run up to the DSEI opening (and during) with daily events. More details at www.stopthearmsfair.org.uk/join-in/ ⁠ Arms fairs in Liverpool and Glasgow have both been cancelled due to public pressure and activists campaigns forcing local authorities to refuse to host the arms fairs on public property. While the Mayor of London has condemned the London Arms Fair (in honestly quite surprising and welcome terms) DSEI continues as they are not reliant on council premises for their venue. They are however reliant on the ExCel Centre. And the ExCel centre has only two roads to get all their weapons and exhibits through. If activists can block those roads for long enough then it is possible to shut down the arms fair. Previous campaigns (the arms fair returns every two years) have seriously disrupted and came close to wrecking the event for arms dealers.⁠ ⁠ That is part of what I think makes the #StopDSEI campaign so exciting, that it is actually possible to stop the world’s biggest arms sale by standing in the road.⁠ See what events Stop the Arms Fair are up today here, and updates on current actions on their twitter here. ⁠ I also have […]

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DSEI

The world’s largest arms fair, DSEI, which opened in London today, just accidentally retweeted my post about the Royal Navy launching “Become A Suicide Bomber” recruitment ads. More details about this project: www.spellingmistakescostlives.com/suicidebomber Fake Royal Navy recruitment website I made: www.royalnavy.org.uk Stop the Arms Fair www.stopthearmsfair.org.uk

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ART THE ARMS FAIR

My work on display as part of the Art The Arms Fair group show which runs until the 13th September in Peckham, raising funds for Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT). All these works are for sale for CAAT. My ‘Empire Air‘ short film is also being shown.⁠⁠The show is split across three locations:⁠⁠Safehouses 1 & 2 (137 & 139 Copeland Rd) for the main exhibition, 12pm–8pm weekdays and 10am–8pm at the weekend⁠⁠AMP Gallery (1 Acorn Parade) for Peter Kennard’s takeover, 12pm–8pm weekdays and 10am–8pm at the weekend⁠⁠ AMP Studios (897a Old Kent Rd) for more art, 6pm–8pm on weekdays and 10am-8pm at the weekend (plus all the evening events – see the Art the Arms Fair website)⁠⁠A ctions to try and stop the arms fair are continuing, if you have the time please consider getting involved, more details at stopthearmsfair.org.uk⁠

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SAD!

You can download this image to print as a protest poster/placard for Trump’s UK visit or any other political purpose. Not approved for commercial or decorative use. EDIT: Link removed due to it being printed for commercial or decorative use.

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YEMEN

These posters I drew have started appearing on the underground thanks to Special Patrol Group. They were inspired by Jeremy Hunt talking about us sending aid to Yemen to deal with the consequences of the bombs we sold to drop on Yemen.A lot of the weapons we sold to Saudi Arabia were made by MBDA, which is a missile company co-owned by Airbus and BAE Systems.As well as the thousands killed in the US/UK backed war in Yemen, the naval blockade by Saudi Arabia is causing a famine the UN has described as the deadliest in decades, and that 8 million people are “right on the brink of famine”. The US has dispatched ships to reinforce the blockade.The Saudis rely on UK and US support for the bombing campaign, we have military personnel over there picking targets, processing intelligence, refuelling and rearming planes. The British military has also been training Saudi troops to fight in Yemen and teaching battlefield tactics to Saudi officers.The UK sending £4 million of aid is pointless while we still support and encourage the causes of that famine. We need to end our support for this war and put and end to the blockade immediately. 🇾🇪🇾🇪🇾🇪🇾🇪🇾🇪🇾🇪🇾🇪🇾🇪🇾🇪 #Subvertising #ArmsTrade #Military

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NOPE TO ARMS

The artists & designers who pulled their work from the Design Museum last month in protest of the museum’s hosting an arms dealer party are putting on a show starting this Saturday and I’ve been asked to exhibit alongside them. The launch is Saturday from 6pm at Brixton Recreation Centre. Show is free and runs until 23rd Sept. More details: nopetoarms.org Facebook Event: From Nope to Hope: Art vs Arms, Oil and Injustice. Excellent poster image by the excellent Peter Kennard. #ArmsTrade

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ART THE ARMS FAIR

I’ve new work in The Opening Night of Art the Arms Fair group show on Monday. Cassetteboy is playing too. Tickets are available from artthearmsfair.com or the event page above. All proceeds go to Campaign Against Arms Trade . This Thomas the Tank sculpture will be on sale as well as a bunch of prints, comics & postcards to raise enough money to really #stopDSEI next time. We’ve also just heard that some stands setting up at the DSEI arms fair are up to 4 days behind schedule thanks to the actions of everyone who have been helping Stop The Arms Fair. Anyone who has put on any kind of exhibition before knows that being even one day behind schedule is a nightmare. I’m so happy.

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STOP THE ARMS FAIR

You can help Stop The Arms Fair – road blockades happening now and until the 11th Sept in London to prevent weapons being delivered to the DSEI Arms Fair site. Check the Stop The Arms Fair website / facebook /twitter for details or just head down now to the ExCeL London centre and get involved. On Friday I’m going to be giving at talk at Conference at the Gates: Academics Against the Arms Fair. I’ll also have some work in The Exhibition of Art the Arms Fair trying to raise money for Campaign Against the Arms Trade. This is the first year there is a genuine chance we can prevent the DSEI Arms Fair from happening. Get involved!

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NUCLEAR SOLUTIONS

I made this poster as part of the #StopDSEI campaign, which went up alongside a whole load of other posters in 30 bus stops around London, helped in no small part by the wonderful humans at Special Patrols Group. I did an interview with Vice about the project, which you can read here. If you’re interested in subverting an advertising space near you, check out the Ad-Space Hack Pack Strike! Magazine put together. #NuclearWar #Trident

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