I’m Speaking in Brooklyn this Thursday Evening

Barring catastrophe, I’ll be speaking in Brooklyn this Thursday evening, September 24, 7:30 kicking off a new series of talks at The Change You Want to See Gallery in Williamsburgh: 84 Havemeyer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211

From the series description: “If advertising is the engine of capitalism, then brands are its symbolic currency. Branding is a complex communications system of signifiers that leverages psychoanalytical principals of irrationality and desire. As activists and socially engaged cultural producers we recognize the problems associated with a culture designed around consumption. Unlimited growth in a finite ecosystem is a recipe for global catastrophe. The practice of branding is a central force driving the system towards its inherent limit. How are we to respond?”

Speakers coming up in the series after me include Stuart Ewen, Stephen Duncombe, and Steve Lambert.

I think I’ll talk about the over-branding of movements, and my strong preference for “fractavism” scaled to real people living in real places but capable of creating systemwide change when it’s necessary.

This will be streamed live at http://livestream.com/notanalternative

Posted on 21 September '09 by Douglas, under Uncategorized.

2 Comments to “I’m Speaking in Brooklyn this Thursday Evening”

#1 Posted by Damian (24.09.09 at 08:46 )

Hi Doug – very interested in this talk – any chance you will be recording it?

Cheers

Damian

#2 Posted by Damian (24.09.09 at 21:00 )

I managed to catch it live. Great talk even if it was light (for me) on the fractavism side of things. For me a key point was how we are the only ones who can define ourselves – in our actions and relationships of doing – not some dehumanising brand.

Definitely something I can take back to my charity work where the fight to realign them from marketing an idea and generating reports on marketing activity towards actually getting people to engage one another in a meaningful way that leads to results in real life is still ongoing.

If I get stuck I will hit em with the porno cum shot anecdote :)

To answer my own question above the folks hosting the event said it will be online soon here: http://vimeo.com/naa

Thanks again

Damian