Artists Protest Olympics and Land Art Threat in Rio and Mexico City

Artists across the globe are uniting in response to cultural and political challenges. In Rome, they protested against market stalls that block William Kentridge's impressive frieze along the Lungotevere. Meanwhile, in Hamburg, participants of Projeto Brasil, a two-week festival celebrating contemporary art from Rio de Janeiro, issued a collective statement opposing the 2016 Olympic Games and the government's policies. Artists such as Daniel Lee and Lia Rodrigues contend that the Games cannot symbolize democracy in light of the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, which they label a coup. In Mexico City, a coalition of artists, architects, and scholars is resisting a new construction at the University of Social Sciences, claiming it disrupts the land art installation Espacio Escultórico, created by several renowned artists. A change.org petition, signed by around 31,000 individuals—including Tania Bruguera, Carlos Amorales, and Yoko Ono—calls for the building's demolition. The university has declined, while protesters suggest alternatives like camouflage. The petition requires an additional 4,000 signatures to achieve quorum.