Brandon Ballangée, Commited

12 novembre 2013, 19.00
Proiezione e talk con: Maurizio Guerri, Rossella Moratto e Orio Vergani

Il video Commited (16’13’’) di Brandon Ballengée è stato presentato al pubblico per la prima volta nel corso della mostra Collapse: The cry of the silent form alla Ronald Feldman Gallery di New York nel 2012 ed è la prima volta che viene mostrato in Italia.
Commited è un “contro-canto” critico alla propaganda televisiva che la BP fece seguire, dopo il disastro ambientale  causato dall’esplosione della piattaforma petrolifera Deepwater Horizon, sugli schermi televisivi statunitensi. Grazie a inconfutabili dati scientifici e a testimonianze dirette Ballengée riesce a smontare pezzo a pezzo l’apparato comunicativo della BP, restituendo un quadro drammatico della realtà.
19.30 Talk con: Maurizio Guerri, Rossella Moratto e Orio Vergani

Commited è stato realizzato in collaborazione con: Aurore Ballengée, Phillip Henken, Mike Madden e Gillian Wilson.
Per la realizzazione della serata si ringraziano: Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York., Nowhere, Milano.

Articolo su Digicult (2009)

Brandon Ballengée - Statement of Intent
As an artist, biologist and environmental activist, my concerns are for communities both human and non-human affected by climate change and other ecological impacts of the Anthropocene. Today’s environmental problems are global in scale and complex. To face this milieu of issues, we need the creativity of artists, scientists and those focused on other disciplines combined to creatively address such challenges we and other species currently face.
For my projects I collaborate with diverse communities of varied age groups, specialists (in art and science) and locals to create transdisciplinary works through participatory science programs resulting in actions and installations. Such works are collectively researched by interdisciplinary groups and often physically built from local collected biological and other materials.
The underlying goal is increased understanding of localized environmental problems with an overall awareness that each of us as individuals has an impact and can make a difference in our global environment.

 

Video: 16 minutes and 13 seconds.
BP advertisements with running texts in rebuttal.
In collaboration with Aurore Ballengée, Phillip Henken, Mike Madden and Gillian Wilson.

Committed offered rebuttals to claims made in BP advertisements. Here, scientific studies, government documents and other published materials factually contradict what BP has said in their commercials and other public relation attempts. Through the piece you see a complete collision of “realities”: On one hand you have the reassuring words of the carrying and apologetic former CEO Tony Hayward promising to “make this right” followed by visions of white sands with vibrant blue water, thrilled sunbathing tourists, thriving revitalized gulf communities and wildlife, even a recipe for succulent shrimp gumbo. On the other- the world of scientists, analysts and Gulf residents- you see a different picture reported, with damaged beaches with sands used to cover oil, delays in clean up and restoration efforts, cover up attempts for loss of wildlife, DWH effluents bio-accumulating into different trophic layers of the gulf food chain, health threats from consuming contaminated seafood, and an ongoing environmental catastrophe that has lacked systemic large-scale remediation.

Brandon Ballangée, Commited

12 novembre 2013, 19.00
Proiezione e talk con: Maurizio Guerri, Rossella Moratto e Orio Vergani

Il video Commited (16’13’’) di Brandon Ballengée è stato presentato al pubblico per la prima volta nel corso della mostra Collapse: The cry of the silent form alla Ronald Feldman Gallery di New York nel 2012 ed è la prima volta che viene mostrato in Italia.
Commited è un “contro-canto” critico alla propaganda televisiva che la BP fece seguire, dopo il disastro ambientale  causato dall’esplosione della piattaforma petrolifera Deepwater Horizon, sugli schermi televisivi statunitensi. Grazie a inconfutabili dati scientifici e a testimonianze dirette Ballengée riesce a smontare pezzo a pezzo l’apparato comunicativo della BP, restituendo un quadro drammatico della realtà.
19.30 Talk con: Maurizio Guerri, Rossella Moratto e Orio Vergani

Commited è stato realizzato in collaborazione con: Aurore Ballengée, Phillip Henken, Mike Madden e Gillian Wilson.
Per la realizzazione della serata si ringraziano: Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York., Nowhere, Milano.

Articolo su Digicult (2009)

Brandon Ballengée - Statement of Intent
As an artist, biologist and environmental activist, my concerns are for communities both human and non-human affected by climate change and other ecological impacts of the Anthropocene. Today’s environmental problems are global in scale and complex. To face this milieu of issues, we need the creativity of artists, scientists and those focused on other disciplines combined to creatively address such challenges we and other species currently face.
For my projects I collaborate with diverse communities of varied age groups, specialists (in art and science) and locals to create transdisciplinary works through participatory science programs resulting in actions and installations. Such works are collectively researched by interdisciplinary groups and often physically built from local collected biological and other materials.
The underlying goal is increased understanding of localized environmental problems with an overall awareness that each of us as individuals has an impact and can make a difference in our global environment.

 

Video: 16 minutes and 13 seconds.
BP advertisements with running texts in rebuttal.
In collaboration with Aurore Ballengée, Phillip Henken, Mike Madden and Gillian Wilson.

Committed offered rebuttals to claims made in BP advertisements. Here, scientific studies, government documents and other published materials factually contradict what BP has said in their commercials and other public relation attempts. Through the piece you see a complete collision of “realities”: On one hand you have the reassuring words of the carrying and apologetic former CEO Tony Hayward promising to “make this right” followed by visions of white sands with vibrant blue water, thrilled sunbathing tourists, thriving revitalized gulf communities and wildlife, even a recipe for succulent shrimp gumbo. On the other- the world of scientists, analysts and Gulf residents- you see a different picture reported, with damaged beaches with sands used to cover oil, delays in clean up and restoration efforts, cover up attempts for loss of wildlife, DWH effluents bio-accumulating into different trophic layers of the gulf food chain, health threats from consuming contaminated seafood, and an ongoing environmental catastrophe that has lacked systemic large-scale remediation.

Brandon Ballengee: Artist, Scientist, Environmental Activist, Video su PBS
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