BBC News Feature on AAC

Artists Against Corruption (AAC) is the feature of a BBC news story to be broadcast soon. The story features four American artists who were recently interviewed by Humphrey Hawksley whilst in New York.

This will be the first major media exposure for the project, but definitely not the last. We have already been invited to take part in the International Anti Corruption Conference in Bangkok this November (14th IACC), expected to create more media coverage.

The day in New York went exceptionally well and demonstrated that the aims of AAC will be achieved. The organisation was established based on the belief that only artists are capable of communicating the complexities of what is meant by corruption, and the diversity of the direct and in-direct consequences of it. In working with artists this way, our aim is to increase awareness, reduce tolerance and intensify pressure on those that are corrupt, and those that can end corruption.

The four artists, a sculptor, a painter and two multi-media artists expressed several forms of corruption such as greed and dictatorship, and consequences such as genocide, war and  human rights abuses.

Each of the artists Jay Critchley (Provincetown, MA), Joy Garrett (NYC) , Barbara Cohen (Provincetown MA and NYC) and Chin Chih Yang (NYC), had different, often personal, reasons for being involved in the project. Painter, Barbara Cohen is Jewish and is appalled that the “never again” pledges made after the Holocaust have, and continue to be, broken. And Chin Chih Yang says his thoughts on corruption are directly related to his childhood in Taiwan.

Each of the artists feelings about their involvement in the project can best be summed up by a statement Chin Chih Yang made. He said, “AAC grants artists a chance to work with other like-minded artists in a common struggle: a joint endeavor as exigent as it is exciting. Perhaps we can accomplish more together than can be achieved in the single vision of any individual artist. This, at least, is what I hope for.”

We will add clips of the interviews when they have been broadcast. In the meantime we are preparing the profiles of each artists involved. We would also invite other artists to contact us if they would like to take part in the campaign.