Détournements

Détournement is one of those French words cloaked in dense Situationist theory. Which means it’s best understood through the prism of punk rock. You’re basically taking the symbols of the system, deranging them, and using them as weapons against the status quo and social norms. Think Jamie Reid’s art for the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen,” or any image of Ronald Reagan with a mohawk. Add art that exists in a legal gray area or has a “spectacle factor” and you have the movement in a nutshell. Our friends across the river have put together a show of this sort of work, subtitled “Activist Strategies in Text, Printed Matter, and Culture Jamming,” and what better day for it to open than International Workers Day. The free exhibit will feature work from Steven Lambert (Google his work, “Capitalism Works for Me!”) and print artist Emily Davidson, as well as work by local artists, activists, and collectives.