Security
AK-47 assault rifle (manufactured in many countries, used worldwide)
Spoof advert (2006): Amnesty International are trying to get 1 million people involved in their campaign to tighten loopholes in arms trade legislation. So they make an advert that looks like a scene from a teleshopping programme. The cheery presenters have just finished selling a batch of ice cream makers. Next, they have some AK-47s to sell. They're cheap and easy to acquire. And they're perfect weapons for children. Click for more...
Bullet (made in Ukraine, shot in Sierra Leone)
Life story of a thing (2005): imagine you can follow the life of a bullet from sheet metal in a factory shot into the head of a child soldier, like a POV (Point of View) video game. These are the opening credits of the Nicholas Cage movie Lord of War, set to Buffalo Springfield's 1960s counterculture song 'For what it's worth (stop, hey what's that sound)'. For some, this 3 minute GGI creation is the best part of the movie. For us, its the most brutally clear follow the thing example we've found. Click for more...
Door key (made & used in the UK)
Undergraduate coursework (2006): student Alice Williams arrives home late at night to find that she is locked out. She can't find her door key. She doesn't feel safe. Then she starts to question how a door key can make you feel 'safe', when there's lead in it, and lead can poison both people who make and use these keys. Click for more...
Fancy tent (inhabited by Occupy LSX participants outside St. Paul's cathedral in London)
TV satirical news panel show segment (2011): the Occupy camp outside London's St Paul's cathedral has just become mainstream news in the UK. Conservative MP Louise Mensch appears on the BBC's Have I got news for you show. Panelists are asked to comment on the story. She says you can't be against capitalism when you're enjoying its fruits, like fancy tents, iPhones and Starbucks coffee. The others disagree. Click for more...
Shackles (made in England, used in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba)
Factory protests (2005 & 2007): British citizens and residents are detained in the USA's Guantanamo Bay detention centre, but none are charged with a crime. They notice the shackles restraining them are 'Made in England', just like them. When some go on hunger strike in 2005, and when the 5th anniversary of the camp's opening takes place in 2007, musicians, doctors, lawyers, comedians and activists protest outside the factory where they are made. Their use at Guantanamo, they argue, is unethical and illegal. Click for more...