------The Picture the Homeless occupation case study In the case of our name, Not An Alternative, a slightly slightly a Alternative, An Not name, our of case the In For us at this point Thatcher’s words represent a way way a represent words Thatcher’s point this at us For Beyond this example, as far as the larger objectives Capitalism’s power is sustained by a process that per that by a process is sustained power Capitalism’s positive.” ­ positive.” In this instance where the meaning of her status of exteriority. You position “not You as an yourselves of status exteriority. more generally? more Not An Alternative is a non-profit organization with is is possible” because we understand that this world is al relate relate to your larger objectives as an es organization, and to solidarity collaboration your about ideas pecially plainthisconcept I’llsousethenameAlternativeNotAn It as grows long as there alternatives. itself feeds petually alternative,” as exterior to the system, but rather in rela in rather but system, the to exterior as alternative,” justification for war, protests become proof that freedom of freedom that proof become protests war, for justification had originally intended. “There is no alternative” becomes becomes alternative” no is “There intended. originally had place. “Something in the negative” becomes “no-thing in in “no-thing becomes the “Something place. negative” shift. the in localized is power new ready its own alternative, present as the impossibility of ping where we project aim to a provide kind of interface an movements between resistance the material spectacle from which it is very difficult to imagine any real alternative alternative real any imagine to difficult very is it which from etc) etc) we understand institutions as bio-political appara speech is alive and well. Every attempt to constitute, name, name, constitute, to attempt Every well. and alive is speech of outside exists which that can How counter-power? a sent serve serve to positively account for an inherent contradiction the read we name, a as adopted time this but words, same as as Hans Haacke, Jenny Mark Holtzer, Dion, Fred Wilson, artists engage for the most confinesof part traditional institutions(museums, art galleries only from within the tuses, tuses, structuring every interaction of contemporary life. NAA: above unfortunately isn’t really a good example to ex are alternatives that it can subsume and transform into fuel. fuel. into transform and subsume can it that alternatives are real a can how are work our through answer to seeks group garet Thatcher’s garet famous Thatcher’s quote, “There is no alternative,” to do the same. repre we can How constituted? be capitalism to alternative or make visible antagonism or otherwise escape is immedi is escape otherwise or antagonism visible make or Mar forward. machine the drive to order in processed ately made originally in the has 1980’s, become of emblematic Capitalism? being without visible made be capitalism contemporary world in the negative they at the same time time same the at they negative the in world contemporary excess; unsymbolized an describing expression an as quote an alternative inherent to and at the same time beyond disappear. to wanted likely she which that visible making of of our organization goes, our work is essentially a map the the idea that is there no to exterior system. the Capitalist to the system she described. Some of the questions our twisted twisted she misreading what of opposite inverts the describing Thatcher’s towards meaning words, their orienting tive).” tive).” The name exploits a slippage in language. Where the words on the one hand describe a condition of the in the Embedded invoke. ironically words original her that for invented is new nothing action this In itself. system the the itself. system the possible. and impossible made are they which through words slip, the power of the famous quote is vacated and a and vacated is quote famous the of power the slip, words SS: You have stated in other contexts that you embrace a embrace you that contexts other in stated have You SS: For years since, For the years since, of quote as our been emblematic era No longer do we look for “another world (that we believe) believe) we (that world “another for look we do longer No tion tion to a itself, hole, or system lack, the within capitalist strategy the does How it. of constitutive somehow is that you you used for this with the occupation Picture Homeless Programs are hosted at a variety of venues, including our Photographs by Not An Alternative

Brooklyn-based gallery No-Space (formerly known as The a mission to affect popular understandings of events,

Capital Capital to use as fuel and yet a has transformation taken symbols, and history. We curate produce work that questions and leverages the tools of advertising, archi Change You Want To See Gallery). tecture, exhibit design, branding, and public relations. Andrea Andrea Fraser, and Alfredo Jarr. However, where these Anarchism Anarchism becomes decoration, disaster T-shirt becomes “there “there is such a thing as (or no-alternative not an alterna ------appears to be ­ appears providing an ­ providing alterna Although we’vepartnered many One of Not An Alternative’s projects is to operate as a as operate to is projects Alternative’s An Not of One One thing that makes our work as a production com our One that makes work thing as a production We We see our work to be connected to a few differ We engage campaigns to point to what is invisible in a in invisible is what to point to campaigns engage We Typically, but Typically, not always, our work aligns well with strategies? including a model and two videographers. We were also in also were We videographers. two and a model including pany different than the work of other activist groups is that that is groups activist other of work the than different pany they them charge keting strategies, with being inherently role was limited to creating the stage from which the PTH which from the stage to creating was role limited production company wherein, aside from the choice of who who of choice the from aside wherein, company production be be symbolized, or what is actively repressed from being exclusion is inherently representation because it’s political reveals the structure of exclusion and makes visible the situation. that of politics histories of art and activism. activism. and art of histories an artist collective an and artist collective a yet of self- group marginalized support support rather and driving any particular issue. We work struggles and a movement. Another thing that makes us employed in industries associated with public relations. spoke with Not An Alternative about their collaboration. planned was and takeover illegal an involved it because ever proj the For video. music budget low a shooting and stalling a stage, fabricated signage, printed sets, props, built we ect ent artistic institutions. For example those associated symbolized in a given situation. If our in work a situation. given symbolized does this strategy relate to other activist and artistic our our function is oriented around providing infrastructural strategies embrace we that is activists many than different corrupt as a result of being associated with the produc of communication of such communication as media analysis, deconstruction, data. of representation the on reliance a and all, the concept behind their name deals with or picturing making visible the homeless, which they understand city is built. how case particular this In message. their communicate could and Not An Alternative, occupied an abandoned lot in NAA: of case the In company. production other any would as actly organized urban residents appears to be unusual in most most in unusual be to appears residents urban organized goals, our interest in the partnership is not (at least first represent to working mean I don’t this, By situation. given ac we role the stage to but choice no had we notice short on for on a installation site of crew 30 volunteers coordinated tion tion of and “the forms favor instead spectacle,” “ethical” ary. The ary. act of pointing out what is missing in a situation the activist groups we work with. In the case of Picture the occupation we did with Picture the Homeless our our Homeless the Picture with did we occupation city tent the the lack of affordable in New York. Scapegoat ALTERNATIVE: AN NOT campaign“win”a to desire a foremost)derivedandfrom content that can be made visible by in crew a as production costumed undercover, played tually between continuity build to aim our share who groups with tique,” made famous in the United States by artists such tive perspective. tive I’m perspective. talking about pointing to what can’t we work with and what we are aiming to do, we perform ex perform we do, to aiming are we what and with work we with artists working in the genre of “Institutional Cri times with groups that have issue-oriented campaign we’re involved in. In fact, our practice with has representation more than to politics.do As an artswork group is our oriented around representing the impossible. Picture the Homeless Tent City the Homeless Tent Picture SS: What was NAA’s strategySS: What for was the NAA’s occupation? How SCAPEGOAT SAYS: How did you come to work with Pic with work to come you did How SAYS: SCAPEGOAT Surprisingly (at least for us) most activist groups reject mar reject groups activist most us) for least (at Surprisingly , building an Cityimpromptu to Tent protest Homeless are an example of this. On July 23rd 2009, Picture the Homeless, Reclaim NYC Our partnerships with activists groups such as Picture the Picture as suchpartnershipsactivists groupsOurwith ture ture the Homeless? It seems that the alliance between

volved in coordinating the social media strategy for the event. event. the for strategy media social the coordinating in volved very well to be the repressed excess around which the The Homeless the alliance worked particularly well. After

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