An exhibition of photographs in the Stirrup Gallery atĀ the Addison Road Community CentreĀ will raiseĀ funds for earthquake relief in Rojava. Peter Boyle reports.
Art & culture
Ms Saffaa is aĀ SaudiĀ artist currently studying in Australia. As part of her practice, she creates murals championing the freedom of women inĀ SaudiĀ Arabia ā in particular drawing attention to the prohibitive āguardianĀshipā laws.
Under these laws, women must be accompanied by a male āguardianā to do many every day activities ā laws the Saudi regime slightly relaxed last month in a sign of pressure from campaigners.
Via Twitter, Saffaaās work was taken up by a grassroots movement inĀ SaudiĀ Arabia and is now synonymous with the struggle to end these laws.
Because Ā鶹ӳ» Weekly is taking a break for the summer, it asked staff, contributors ā or just people it likes ā to name the best books published this year. Here are their suggestions.
Tim Dobson, Ā鶹ӳ» journalist and blogger at
by Ronald Reng
Yellow Jersey Press, 2011
United States Republican representative from Ohio John Boehner is feeling pretty full of himself nowadays. Little wonder. With the Republicans winning back in control of the House of Representatives in the November 2 elections, Boehner looks set to be the next Speaker.
And like any pompous career politician who fancies himself cock-of-the-walk, he seldom lets facts get in the way.
The Live Red Art Awards and Festival is taking place on October 17 at the Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville, Sydney. The day will feature an exhibition and live performances.
Submissions for the multi-disciplinary competition, which was open to anyone, closed on October 1. As well as the winner announced by the judges, there will be a āpeopleās choiceā award. For more information on Live Red Arts, visit . Below is a run-down on some of the artists whose work will be on display at the festival.
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One of the greatest living exponents of Peruvian musica criolla (creole music), Eva Ayllon, performed at the Sydney Opera House on September 25. Finding my seat, I felt as if Iād walked into an exuberant family gathering full of animated conversation, laughter, waving and group photography.
āI want to make films with a social purposeā, Newcastle-based film maker and activist Simon Cunich told Ā鶹ӳ» Weekly. āI think every one has got a responsibility to persuade people and to inspire activism.ā
Cunich, a member of Socialist Alliance, is completing a certificate in Screen and Media.
Newcastle is the largest exporter of coal in the world and Cunich said this āenvironmental destructionā has led to a hub of activism in opposition.
The use of art as a commentary on social and political injustice is becoming increasingly innovative. Artists are embracing their varied mediums to share stories and ideas calling for a challenge to the status-quo.
From radical independent art, to mainstream artists using their influence, the fusion of social justice and art has been embraced by photographers, musicians, painters, filmmakers, fashion designers and more.
Many commercial artists who have enjoyed mainstream success have used their reach to convey messages of protest and encourage social change.
artRiot
September 11-26
Upstairs at the Annandale Hotel,
17 Parramatta Rd, Annandale, Sydney
Sydney is currently swathed in artist run spaces and ecologically concerned art. The Museum of Contemporary Artās latest show, In the Balance ā Art for a Changing World, is just one of a range of recent exhibitions that explore climate change and community involvement in solutions.
Itās in this context that artRiot has emerged. artRiot is a new art collective comprised of Sydney and Newcastle artists whose mandate is to combine art and activism.
September 18 marks the 40th anniversary of the death of US musician Jimi Hendrix, widely regarded as one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time.
Hendrixās identification with progressive politics embodied the ferment of the late 1960s, with songs like āIf Six Was Nineā (āIām gonna wave my freak flag highā), āI Donāt Live Todayā (about the plight of Native Americans) and the visceral anti-war tone poem āMachine Gunā.
Review: Plastic Beach
Gorillaz, EMI
Escape to the Plastic Beach Tour
December 6-19, on sale now
Bookings via Ticketek,
Premierticketek.com.au, 132 849
āIf you watch MTV for too long, itās a bit like hell ā thereās nothing of substance thereā, said Jamie Hewlett, graphic artist and co-creator of āvirtual bandā Gorillaz, in 2005 . āSo we got this idea for a cartoon band, something that would be a comment on that.ā
This open letter to Elton John was released on July 30 by Alexander Billet. It is reprinted from . Billetās blog on popular music can be read at .
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Dear Elton,
First of all, I hope you donāt mind that I refuse to call you āSirā. Knights swing swords and ride horses. You play a piano.
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