"A Monument Wall to Anti-Displacement Organizing" at the Agitprop! Show at the Brooklyn Museum.
What is it?
A group of Agitprop Artists, Artists of Color and The Movement To Protect The People “MTOPP” have created a unique exhibition for the third wave of the Agitpop! Show. This exhibit embodies the concept of using art to agitate, address and confront social issues that are facing people today. The wall depicts the actually struggle of gentrification and displacement of people of color from a Macro to a micro perspective revolving around a community led organization called MTOPP who has been successfully fighting a rezoning struggle for two years. The Wall will be up until August of 2016.
What is on the Wall?
The wall acts as an information board, highlighting key points of information and discourse around the issue of rezonings that are at the forefront of Mayor Deblaso’s housing plan. Here are a few of the titles that are explored:
Are You Rent Burden?
Deblasio's Rezonings,
Are you Burdened By Rent?,
Displacing People of Color
Is Your Community A Target (for rezoning)
The Great Con!
It also includes an interactive piece on actions that the public can take to support and get involved, such as signing a petition.
In the Center of the Wall there is a six minute video which informs the viewer about the struggle that is occurring within vicinity of The Brooklyn Museum and it contains very graphic and powerful scenes that attest to the serious battle around rezonings.
The History of the Wall Creation
This exhibit has been made possible by the direct actions of The Brooklyn Anti-Gentrification Network “BAN”, who protested and Artist of Agitprop!, who confronted the Brooklyn Museum for hosting a Real Estate Summit on November 17, 2016, who’s attendees are some of the key players contributing to the displacement and gentrification of communities of color all over Brooklyn.
On Going Actions
The strength of this exhibit is to have art be a vehicle for change is a powerful one. This piece of work will continue to allow the public to view occurrences that are happening right now, and provide the public with the opportunity to be a part of the solution. For example, the board will be periodically updated so information such as the ‘secret’ behind closed door meetings that are occurring with the Department of City Planning and select members of Community Board 9 to begin a study for a rezoning, will be known as well as to highlight plans of actions to come, with the next one being on April 26, 2016.
Future Actions
There is going to be an all day summit at the Brooklyn Museum on July 10, 2016, from 12-5pm. There will be programming, talks, interactive art work, dance performances and lectures around gentrification, displacement and rezonings in New York City and around the wall!
As we develop the program we will keep the public updated on our progress.