Directory of Culture Jamming Resources

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Culture jamming, or "media hacking", is the deliberate subversion of media messages (usually advertising). This category is particularly for groups or organizations whose express purpose is to disrupt the institutions of modern, usually Western culture: the corporation, the media, science, religion. In short, their targets are "the Establishment" and most authority. The tactics used are varied, but generally fall in the category of subversive/humorous media stunts. That can range from straight-forward parodies to deliberate hoaxes. At the extremes includes anarchistic acts of "poetic terrorism," like billboard defacement, or "art sabotage", willful acts of destruction in a performance art style.

Subcategories

• Akayism
• Andre the Giant Has a Posse
• Billboard Alteration
• Hoaxes
• Kill the Dot
• Negativland
• Nike ID
• Patenting Own Genes
• Pepsi Shirt on Coke Day
• SantaCon
• Spoof Websites
• Telephone Tone Copyright
• Vote Auctions
• etoy
• ®TMark

Resources in This Category

• Abrupt Culture Jamming

  http://www.abrupt.org/abruptlog/culture-jamming/
  For 10 years, Abrupt has been culture-jamming with manifestos, ad parodies, and radical pamphleteering.

• Adbusters Culture Jammers Headquarters

  http://www.adbusters.org/
  Vancouver based anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters. Famous for their spoof ads.

• ameriCON incorporated USA

  http://americonincorporated.com/
  Purports to be a multinational corporation seeking investment from conservative Christian businessmen who are interested in dominating global markets.

• BugMeNot.com

  http://www.bugmenot.com/
  Bypass compulsory web registration.

• Cacophony Society

  http://www.cacophony.org/
  A randomly gathered network of individuals united in the pursuit of experiences beyond the pale of mainstream society through subversion, pranks, art, fringe explorations and meaningless madness.

• Culture Jamming

  http://www.culture-jamming.de/
  Overview of subversive affirmation, media hoaxing, and adbusting, with links to influential participants. [English/German]

• Enjoy the Sign

  http://www.enjoythesign.com/
  A funny, provocative movie about the filmmakers' obsession -- framed perversely as a series of TV commercials -- with a shining emblem of modern culture, The Sign.

• Feed the Mannequins

  http://www.angelfire.com/ego/feedmanneqs/
  Movement to bring basic comforts to mannequins, who work in horrible conditions and have no power to change it.

• Free Words Project

  http://www.freewords.org/
  Book project by artist Sal Randolph. Free Words is a free and uncopyrighted book being given away in bookstores, libraries, galleries and other venues. Look for a free copy in New York bookstores, or download a pdf version from this site.

• Hyper-Redundant-Mart

  http://www.trojanmedia.org/hypermart.html
  Specializes in 'consumable simulacra'. "Why buy the product, when you can buy the idea? Buy the hype."

• It Was Him

  http://www.itwashim.com/
  Photographs of altered signs, advertising, and celebrity posters.

• M. T. Enterprises WorldWide

  http://mteww.com/
  Internet art group with corporate front, promoting "artainment." [Requires frames]

• Mark Dery's Shovelware

  http://www.markdery.com/
  Mark Dery popularized the term "culture jamming", and wrote a pamphlet titled "Culture Jamming: Hacking, Slashing and Sniping in the Empire of Signs".

• National Cynical Network, The

  http://www.nationalcynical.com/
  Negativland co-conspirators out of Silicon Valley who produce voicemail art as well as all manner of audio collage.

• Rethink Tradition

  http://www.olgamatveeva.com/tradition.html
  Advertisements challenging the societal norm of the engagement ring, designed by Olga A. Matveeva.

• Robbie Conal's Art Attack

  http://www.robbieconal.com/
  Political posters, guerilla postering guide and QuickTime movies.

• sniggle.net

  http://www.sniggle.net/
  Well-written introduction to culture jamming in its many forms, with pictures and many links.

• Soy Bomb Nation

  http://www.hiphopmusic.com/soybomb.html
  A global grassroots movement dedicated to reclaiming the media from the corporate cheesemongers.

• The Bubble Project

  http://thebubbleproject.com/
  Manifesto, templates, book ordering, contact information and recommended links.

• The Danger

  http://www.thedanger.com/
  Articles, event schedule, photographs, message boards and downloadable media.

• Together We Can Defeat Capitalism

  http://www.twcdc.com/
  Undertakes public art and Internet projects to raise questions about early 21st Century capitalism.

• Urban Prankster

  http://urbanprankster.com/
  Blog about pranks, hacks, participatory art, flash mobs, and other creative endeavors in public places.

• Urbanize.org

  http://www.urbanize.org/
  Guerilla street art. Featuring work by the "Midget Posse" and anonymous graffiti artists.

Related Categories

• Home > Arts > Visual Arts > Performance Art
• Home > Arts > Visual Arts > Public Art > Street Art > Guerrilla Art
• Home > Society > Issues > Human Rights and Liberties > Free Speech
• Home > Society > Issues > Intellectual Property
• Home > Society > Politics > Anarchism > Culture
• Home > Society > Subcultures
• Home > Society > Issues > Environment > Consumerism > Activism

 

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