Red Sticker Campaign
A guerilla art campaign giving the public curatorial power
The move by Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art director Jeffrey Deitch to remove commissioned street artist Blu’s artwork from the institution’s exterior was polemic—not to mention ironic—being that it happened just a few months shy of its blockbuster “Art in the Streets” show, which opens later this month. However, surprisingly, it wasn’t issues of censorship nor irony that drove private organization MOCA-latte to launch its Red Sticker Campaign. Giving ordinary citizens the opportunity to stand in Deitch’s shoes, the project’s purposes are to ultimately point out the power behind a sole individual’s opinion, as well as to bring the public closer to the discussion of public art.
Angelenos are being encouraged to sign up through the website to receive a free packet of red stickers emblazoned with the word “Approved” or “Disapproved.” The idea is to put the public in the role of curator, allowing them to signify their thumbs up or down of a public artwork they encounter, and then send in a photo of the piece to the website for inclusion in its gallery. The stickers will be distributed via stores as well.
So far the online gallery shows street art and graffiti from Venice to The Valley, and MOCA-latte suggests removing the stickers after participants take photos to preserve the original artwork.
