Artists Damien Hirst and Tobias Wong recently unveiled controversial pieces that, in contrast with the anti-commercial work of their contemporaries, celebrate the luxury object. Do these artists represent a conservative strain in contemporary art that makes art complicit with commodity … Lire / Read
Archives Without Borders
Since the 1980s we have seen the rise of forensic-based human rights organizations working to scientifically document crimes against humanity on an international scale. It is perhaps too early to tell what effect the conjunction of scientific data and eyewitness … Lire / Read
A Technological Fix for the Environment: The Virgin Earth Challenge
Last February Al Gore and British billionaire Richard Branson presented the Virgin Earth Challenge. It operates on the assumption that there is a technological solution to the climate change crisis. Technology materializes a particular relationship to the world. Does modifying … Lire / Read
Developing Deforestation: The REDD Initiative
The Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries (REDD) is being touted by industrialized nations as a way to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 25 percent within the span of the next decade, with the … Lire / Read
Congestion Pricing in the Global City
New York is set to become the first North American city to levy fees on drivers accessing downtown streets. Promoted originally by a business think tank and later championed by New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg, the plan would charge … Lire / Read
Exposed: Investigating the Social Function of Sensational Violence in Film
Exploitative violence – the brand depicted in many popular films, including Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s recent release, Grindhouse –is a prevalent fixture of the media landscape. Violence figures differently in various societies. For some, violence, or the threat of … Lire / Read
Cultural Supremacy Undermines First Nations Land Claims
Claiming land was one of the central motivations for European settlement of Canada. For centuries, Europeans took possession of territory occupied by First Nations under the pretext of possessing superior cultural institutions. Recently, an Algonquin First Nations cultural centre in … Lire / Read
Repressing the Potential of the Video Game
Despite their explosive commercial and popular success, video games continue to be limited in their ability to convey messages outside of their purposes of entertainment. This essay looks at the example of the game Super Columbine Massacre RPG (SCMRPG… Lire / Read
Joint African Union-United Nations Peacekeeping Efforts: A Dangerous Liaison?
Following a decade of failed peacekeeping endeavours across Africa at the end of last century, the United Nations (UN) was forced to re-evaluate its role as a global institution for conflict resolution. In the newly reformulated African Union (AU), the … Lire / Read
Lending a Harming Hand: The Interaction of Aid and Conflict
Large foreign aid commitments garner good publicity. Pledges are generally viewed positively and are not considered further. In turbulent situations, though, one must ask whether these financial commitments translate into positive changes on the ground. Unfortunately, there is not always … Lire / Read