005 PROTEST

A tangible resistance WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS: Leanne Fischler

WHISPER

Revolutions have always played a vital part in shaping the way our society and political systems are run today. Yet behind every revolution there are secret objects, ingeniously shaped by raw necessity, to guide, unite, hide and inspire. 005 PROTEST

Above Solidarnosc badge and moc resistor Image courtesy of V&A London

hildren love the idea of secrets; Social movements is the art of hiding messages communication in history amongst these: chess puzzles, lovers ‘kisses’ more than a tool of communication between book, also called “Disobedient they allow them to know something are one of the in plain sight. It is the art of through the literature of the at the end of letters, and knitted jumpers. the revolutionaries, Madame Defarge’s Objects”, Flood and Grindon Cabove other people, yet why are primary engines whispering your secret in a Victorian poets. In his study Before the advances of digital knitting itself is turned from something described their choice of title as secret communications needed in today’s producing our crowded room. “Cowley’s Lemmon: Secrecy cryptography, intelligence agencies had domestic into an object full of horrific, inspired by normal, every day adult society? When people feel a lack of culture and politics, Objects have always been and Interpretation in The to use physical objects to convey their fastidious secrecy. things that are used in new and and this is no less openness in a political situation, when used as part of revolutions, for Mistress” he describes the communications and signals. The myth On a stand in the corner of “Disobedient creative ways by revolutionaries. true when it comes they are not allowed to talk freely, they many different purposes yet importance of the secret cabinet goes that spies used Morse Code to inscribe Objects”, Gavin Grindon and Catherine They point out that a key element to art and design sometimes need to communicate in secret their most important role is containing the government’s secret messages onto yarn before knitting it Flood’s recent exhibition at the V&A, sits to such objects is that, although to regain equality. This is how resistances often to act as a social object propaganda secrets, carried into into a jumper worn by the messenger during a small electrical resistor. Such resistors they have no distinct aesthetic are formed. “Social movements are one of that spreads a message. Unlike battle by Charles I and captured travelling. Upon arrival, the jumper would are familiar today as part of the circuitry style, they are all linked together the primary engines producing our culture cryptography, because the by Thomas Fairfax. The cabinet be unwound and the message deciphered. in portable electronic devices but in late by a simplicity that suggests “not and politics, and this is no less true when communication is not under was an elaborate mechanism This was not the first time that knitting 20th century Poland the resistor meant a lack of concern for design, but it comes to art and design” states Gavin direct scrutiny, the message is which had to be decoded before was used to secretly bear a messages. Due much more. The resistor, worn as if it were an impassioned and raw desire to Grindon. When revolutions happen, not found unless it is intended the letters contained within to their binary nature, knitting stitches a badge on a jacket, played a key role in the express something” (Grindon for people are working from necessity so we to be found. People must often could be read. It now stands as themselves are also rumoured to have carried “Solidarnosc” movement that ultimately arts magazine, Apollo, 2014). see what is known as ‘art and design from have an awareness of the social a symbol for the fight against coded messages. Perhaps the most famous overthrew Communism within the country. The objects of Flood and below’, people designing for themselves, and cultural issues around propaganda and corruption example of this is in Dickens’ 1859 book It represents an everyday, readily available Grindon’s exhibition stand out as opposed to authorities designing for the a resistance to recognize the within authorities. “A Tale of Two Cities”. The antagonist, object re-purposed to act as a social object against the usual finely crafted masses. importance of objects used. During World War II, people Madame Defarge, mysteriously sits before striking conversations about, and showing pieces of design typically Secret messages usually make people Timothy Morris at the were once again forced to the guillotine of the French Revolution and solidarity towards, the campaign. displayed in the galleries of think of ciphers such as the enigma code department of English question the actions of their knits as she watches the beheadings of the Gavin Grindon is a researcher of art and the V&A. Such products are of World War II. With cryptography, the Literature at the University authorities when a series of aristocracy. It is soon revealed that she is activism who focuses on social leverage typically conceived in top down message cannot be deciphered easily but of Dundee has studied strange objects were banned using a secret code to knit the names of the points which can be utilised by artists to situations by commissioned can still be seen to exist; steganography secrecy and objects of hidden from the commercial post, next nobility be captured and killed. This is incite political change. In their exhibition design consultancies who decide 005 PROTEST

Their crudeness suggests not a how people will use them. The objects societal commentary. The initial engagement by tourists and brought back home with together to back up, and provide The human touch of making things by lack of concern for design, but in Disobedient Objects are designed out with the high finish of her pieces allows a them, eventually playing an important part in support for, those who are hand contrasts greatly with the inhumanity an impassioned and raw desire to of necessity from materials people have dialogue to open up where the viewer can be building an awareness of Chile’s struggles in part of grass-roots resistances of cryptography. Where a person involved express something readily available around them. They are challenged emotionally and intellectually. the rest of the world. fighting for what they believe in coding or deciphering cryptography picked up from revolution to revolution, “Once an audience is engaged it is the ideal A modern-day campaign sparked by the in. Through their tangibility, can only result in human error; it is the being developed and changed for each place to explore radical and controversial incentive to inspire political change is Betsy these objects can help to create human element of secret social objects that specific purpose. “The objects involved issues” explains Reichardt. Craft can use Greer’s “Craftivism”. Greer uses a blog to real life, intimate relationships guarantees new meanings and intimate are prototypes that exist in the wild, to be skill, time taken and detail to seduce share examples of handmade items which between the individual and the relationships between the maker, the viewer modified and reworked to meet the needs of audiences into engagement. draw attention to social issues. Although revolution. and the movement. different times and places” explain Flood and During the Pinochet regime in Chile, these objects can be similar to the resistor The idea of ‘art and design Behind each revolution is a network of Grindon “we wanted to show the collective women had to deal with proximity to torture in their impassioned approach, the act of from below’ is now extending objects. They create tangible connections power these domestic objects can have when and disappearances of loved ones on a daily making something by hand has long been beyond its original scope and between the individual and the resistance, grabbed and re-purposed with political basis. Support groups formed in communities known to create a deeper engagement with into the world of technology. The encouraging users to speak out and join intent”. It is usual for protests to have with the aim of helping them to talk about the object on a personal level. open source software movement together. They give us a physical voice that carefully designed graphics to spread their atrocities they had experienced; whilst Once social objects which encourage has long encouraged consumers transcends language and cultures. Sometimes word, but these objects sit in the background, simultaneously allowing them to create a direct action cause campaigns to be noticed, to make their own changes they are rough and ready, fabricated on subtly telling the real stories of each grass- livelihood by making and selling traditional they are often again vital in building the to products by making code the kerb-side; other times they are highly roots resistance. Chilean crafted folk arts. Something revolution beyond the small group at its openly available. This trend finished, yet subversive, pieces of art. In a Although objects of resistance are often amazing then happened. The women began core through solidarity campaigns. Without is now developing into ‘open future where technology is dominating, and crude and thrown together, delicate and to embroider meaning and messages into solidarity, revolutions would be constrained source hardware’: products more and more is designed from above with beautifully crafted things can also be used their beautiful appliqué Arpilleras, creating to the individuals at the centre of the action. being developed and made with profit in mind, objects like these bring us to spread political messages. Artist Carrie powerful pieces depicting the emotional Objects become the physical symbols that hacking in mind. People can back to our roots. To take back control of our Reichardt makes highly finished ceramic impact of torture or loss within beautiful help to transcend individual languages and make physical changes to their society, we must first take the design process pieces illustrated with tongue-in-cheek traditional patches. The pieces were bought cultures. Solidarity campains bring people devices to fit their own needs. back into our own hands.