On November 13th, we were proud to host two presentations from the Beehive Design Collective at Oregon State University. The first presentation was an analysis of their massive two-part graphic entitled Mesoamérica Resiste.
9 years in the making, this double-sided, folding poster illustrates stories of resistance, resilience, and solidarity from Mexico to Colombia. A map drawn in old colonial style depicts the modern invasion of megaprojects planned for the region… and opens to reveal the view from below, where communities are organizing locally and across borders to defend land and traditions, protect cultural and ecological diversity, and build alternative economies.
The stories in the graphic come from current struggles, but are also rooted in the legacies of over 500 years of colonialism in the Americas. A banner across the top reads, “Every time history repeats itself, the price goes up” – reminding us that we are in an era of extreme loss of cultural and ecological diversity and rapid climate change. Through the lens of Mesoamerica, the graphic tells the big picture story of what’s at stake across the globe with the neoliberal model of “development,” and what we’ve already lost.
The Beehive Design Collective is a wildly motivated, all-volunteer, activist arts collective dedicated to “cross-pollinating the grassroots” by creating collaborative, anti-copyright images for use as educational and organizing tools. They work as word-to-image translators of complex global stories, shared with them initially through conversations with affected communities. You can learn more about their work at: http://beehivecollective.org
This event was co-sponsored by:
Corvallis Rising Tide, the Anarres Project for Alternative Future [http://anarresproject.org/], Allied Students for Another Politics (ASAP!) [http://asap.moonfruit.com/], the School of History, Philosophy, & Religion at Oregon State University. http://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/shpr