Halloween comes to a close after what seemed like a week-long series of events and celebrations thanks to it occurring on Wednesday and no one knowing when to have a party or go trick or treating.
TrumpRat by Jeffrey Beebe courtesy of BravinLee Offsite. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
One thing that many agree on this year is that the guy who is haunting the White House is trying to scare the bejesus out of everybody – and apparently its working! But like most good thrillers, it’s the stuff that’s happening behind curtain backstage that is the most sinister – like lowering the tax rates on the rich to pre-Depression era levels. Because that worked out so well in the 1920s, right?
A few blocks from the East Village parade last night at Jeffrey Deitch on Wooster Street, Downtown For Democracy hosted a pop up exhibition titled “Protest Factory”. A lot of hot air sent Jeffrey Beebe’s TrumpRat to a soaring height and suitably spooked a number of guests in costume who milled around the opening show.
TrumpRat by Jeffrey Beebe courtesy of BravinLee Offsite. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
In addition to the satirically bloated man-mouse, curious onlookers got to see a number of new works and in-person interactions, including artist and activist Marilyn Minter screen-printing her own Trump Plaques, alongside photographer and activist Nan Goldin and her group P.A.I.N. which is addressing the opioid crisis and those who may profit from it, Richard Hell signing custom T-shirts, and Ryan McGinley taking Polaroids.
TrumpRat by Jeffrey Beebe courtesy of BravinLee Offsite. (photo © Jaime Rojo)
Downtown For Democracy is a PAC founded by creatives to “Transform cultural influence into political power and to put the power of art and creative expression to work for democracy”
The Protest Factory event will remain open to the public with talks, workshops and interviews with some of the participating artists until November 6th.