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A journey to ‘communities of the ideal’
A while back James Marriott made a journey to two communities – each of which tries to approach an ideal. This is his reflection on the experience. The first, La R.o.n.c.e in the Morbihan region of Brittany, is being established on an abandoned farm by six activists and artist-activists, two of whom, John Jordan and…
22 Oct 2014 james -
Exciting week for ending the licence to spill
Why do BP and Shell need cultural institutions (Tate, British Museum, National Portrait Gallery), consumer brands (Lego, Waitrose) and universities? The simple answer is so that the rest of us think we need them. As the Tate’s lawyer explained BP’s sponsorship, if they didn’t think they were getting something out of it, they wouldn’t do…
10 Oct 2014 anna -
Offshore: Iran, BP, Algeria & Boris Island
“No you can’t get through down there. They’ve got a full set of anti-terrorist police. Machine guns and all. They’ll jump out at you if you go beyond that fence. Mind you, it helps keep the crime down in the village”. The tall man with white hair straggling out from under his black hat and…
9 Oct 2014 james -
Tate and oil: does the art world need to come clean about sponsorship?
Susanna Rustin, The Guardian
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BP and #IndyRef – the need to constrain corporate influence in our democracy
Around about 3.00 am on the morning of Friday 19th September, whilst anxiously watching the results come in on the Scottish Independence Referendum, we heard one of the commentators on STV ‘Scotland Decides’ explain his view that after months of the politicians being unable to help the voters make their decision, ‘business leaders’ had stepped…
26 Sep 2014 james -
When Art Meets Activism. As Tate faces the Information Tribunal over BP sponsorship, is there a line between art and ethics?
Interview with Kevin Smith (Platform) and Hannah Davey (Liberate Tate)
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On the Oil Patrol in Russia
This is a guest blog by Asti Roesle from Greenpeace. I have just been in the Republic of Komi, Northern Russian, taking part in an oil spill patrol by Greenpeace Russia and the local NGO Save the Pechora Committee which is run by local volunteers. Sadly, I am discovering many parallels between the situation caused by Shell…
22 Sep 2014 admin -
Le sponsoring culturel des géants du pétrole crée la polémique
Cultural sponsorship by oil company giants is creating debate Tristan de Bourbon, London; in Tribune de Genéve, page 11
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“Protests might intensify” over BP sponsorship
Tate has faced an Information Tribunal to defend its right to keep details of its financial relationship with the oil company a secret. Frances Richens, Arts Professional
