is the artist behind 'pay trump bribes here' a protest messenger for our times? - old school projector

WASHINGTON -It's 9:15 p. m.
August warm night
In a counter
Racist protesters were knocked down and killed in Charlottsville, Virginia, two days after President Donald Trump insisted that white people were "accused by both sides"
Where the supremacist demonstrations
In Washington, a reporter named Robin Bell is about to light up the night. Like a hit-and-
Since election day, 39-year-old editor Bell has flashed dozens of messages and images on the Federal Power Architecture.
The most widely watched piece made its debut in May, when a series of phrases popped up in a huge bright capital letter at the entrance to Trump International Hotel in Washington: "Pay welcome, "Open 24 hours" and "bribe Trump here" accompanied by glowing arrows pointing to the entrance arch.
Then, the foreign compensation clause of the Constitution itself rolls on the facade, referring to the dispute over whether Trump has improperly profited from foreign governments doing business with his property.
Tonight, Bell and his staff are again parked across the street from the Trump hotel.
He has decided that his response to Charlottsville will be a projected trio that conveys different emotions and shows up in different parts of the city center, with a video of the action on Twitter
A trace of betrayal.
Xin's anxiety, he told me earlier, "I'm not 100% sure it will work.
"Outside the hotel, Bell's team holds a disciplined task of practice.
Everyone has a character: to sweet-
Talking about safety and purchase time, a videographer and a photographer record the scene and two production assistants.
They arranged for two.
Wheel trolleys, modified by shelves and platforms, can accommodate truck batteries, inverters that convert DC power to AC power, projectors, and Bell's laptops.
Don gikyard's tattoo peeps from under bell T-'s sleeve
When they drove the car up the block and parked across the street from the hotel entrance, they were wearing shirts.
He aimed at the projector, and the white light of 8,000 lumens shone on the dark stone facade.
Half Crazyminute -the half-
Minutes are always pre-
Apologize for him because he knew he would get a little nervous and arrogant
When Bell taps the keyboard to fix the size and shape of the display, they adjust the height of the projection.
"Let go, let go," he barked. "Up, up. Shims. Little bit. There you go. That's it. Just -
Even, even, even!
"An announcement appears above the hotel's glittering logo in three times the font of the Golden" Trump ":" The president of the United States is a well-known racist and Nazi sympath.
The line disappeared and then: "This is not a drill.
Then, "it's up to us all to stand up and end the white supremacy" and "revolt ". " And repeat.
Like this, it seems to me that the projection lacks the whimsical improvement of some of his other works.
Bell told me it was intentional.
According to Trump's remarks and positions, he believes this is a simple statement of fact --
Although in the days after Charlottsville, the president's comments included "racism" and "KKK, neo-
Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups.
A car passed by, but few people were on the sidewalk.
The first thing to notice is the hotel security through the street.
Samantha Miller, the police liaison, greeted him with pleasure.
He studied the projection with an elusive smile.
He asked if this was the same group that had done so before. ---
"It's very popular," Miller said . " He did not fully admit that it was, in fact, their seventh visit to the hotel.
"We won't be long.
"The guards asked them not to shine on the hotel's windows.
"No, no, we hid it under the window," Miller assured him . ".
"I don't want to disturb all the good guests inside.
"Thank you very much," said the guard.
Two college students who once lived in Iran marveled at this free expression.
After dinner, an African-American couple walked up to their car and said they were happy that Bell was using his white privilege to speak out.
"If I do this now, I may be arrested," said a couple named Brandon Marshall from Prince George County, Maryland.
Crystal Scott, Marshall's dinner partner, said: "I think it's great, it's all hats . " He posted a photo on Facebook.
The other couple approached.
"What happened," asked the man.
Bell told him. Zach -
Please don't have a last name-is a 28-year-
A veteran who served in Afghanistan, now a graduate student, tries to protect his ability to find a job in the government.
He and his girlfriend just moved to town and were checking the monument when they saw this.
"I am sworn in to support and defend the US Constitution," Zach told me . ".
"The first of these rights is the right to freedom of speech.
It may not be a quarter. this is incredible.
A mile from the house where the president lives, citizens can come here to make a project statement directly criticizing his property.
I think it's a good thing.
This is a special feature of the country.
I have been to this kind of place that is fatal to artists. So I love this.
I like him not to be afraid.
"Of course, there are other points, such as the one I later found from the audience on Twitter, where one of Bell's predicted viewers can reach thousands:" cool, your mom teaches you how to use a projector, which you call art, so that people will tolerate your message.
"I 've been trying to think about Bell's predictions for a few weeks.
It is clear that Bell is an inflammatory and novel messenger.
But what's the matter with such a simple ego?
Temporarily speaking on the buildings involved in the information
We find it so fascinating, and while Bell's fleeting jeremich is sure to surprise us, if anything, what will they leave us when the message gets dark ----
The source of the Washington protest forecast was a legendary demonstration in 1989.
Art groups are angry at the Corcoran Gallery's decision to cancel the controversial exhibition by photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
In response, laser artist Rockne Krebs expects
The enlargement of 10 Mapplethorpe works on the facade of the gallery.
The protest attracted more than 900 people, showing the asymmetric power of predictions as a political weapon.
Unauthorized images cast on the building have produced the effect of illuminating what some believe is the corrupt soul of the institution. Bell -
Dear Krebs.
A person is happy, and lacks self-confidence, more in line with the distorted flickering of some of his projections, rather than the sharp condemnation of other projections.
One night, at his Mount Pleasant studio, he told me how he formed his own unique art form.
He originally studied printmaking at the Community College in North Virginia and took part in an exchange program in Florence, but in 2000, when he joined the record counter-
Globalization and anti-war movements across European capitals and Washington.
He started mixing video montages behind the club's dj and making music videos with politically inclined bands and rappers.
His first important video prediction was made during the "sorry state of the Union", which is George W.
As the war in Iraq approached, Bush delivered 2003 State of the Union address.
Bell's multi-layer, fast
The screen behind the band and the speaker features rhythm collages for the Army, commercials, politicians, surrealist animals, etc.
Mainstream performance is his way too.
He edited the video for a political adviser, was hired to work on PBS on "forex trading with Farid Zakaria" and taught at Corcoran College of Art and Design.
He is a videographer of the local band Thievery Corporation records, and has also produced an independent feature film, positive power: not just witnesses (2014)
About the evolution of a legend in Washington, D. C. C.
A punk collective that combines music, art and social action.
In the past few years
Due to the affordable but powerful projector, it becomes more compact than kreb's days --
Bell began trying to make predictions from clubs and studios and started moving.
In 2013, working with the American Civil Liberties Union on a project called "Stop focusing on us", Bell and a team carried a projector in town, and played images criticizing the NSA surveillance under the Obama administration.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Bell mastered the media, and Trump's subsequent victory only increased the demand for his work.
He made some predictions every year to make one or more forecasts every week.
The high stakes in the new political era make it seem outdated for traditional banners, painting and wheat paste protest kits
Bell is perfectly placed in a position to provide attention
Grab an alternative.
"Just after the election, we all felt that way about a group of artists I knew. . .
"Maybe some of the ways we communicate are unclear," he said . ".
Prediction is "a form of a little restructuring ". " ---
Bell's predictions now have enough rules, and in a particularly volatile news cycle, it's like perceiving the chaos of Gotham City and looking for bat signals. Some of them -
Like compensation and Charlotte's response.
It was created by him and his team.
But other predictions
Such as 2013 ACLU project-
Paid cooperation with non-profit organizations has driven what he believes in: Amnesty International, MoveOn.
Clubs and other organizations in Sierra Leone.
Bell produced a prediction video that the customer later showed at the catchy social media event.
He will not say how much he will charge for the forecast, in part because he can act flexibly according to the complexity of the project and the means of the client.
One of his clients told me about the projected cost within the "thousands of dollars" range.
The fee includes paying his team for hours of night work and attending planning meetings on information delivery and professional artist overhead.
He told me that his profit was meager.
A parking ticket for $100 is enough to make a hole in the budget.
The client said that in addition to his mastery of projection technology and logistics, Bell also helped hone their information on the memorable expressions on the side of the building.
For example, Amnesty International recruited Bell to make three predictions about a ban on certain Muslim travel --
Most countries
One at Dulles International Airport, one at the Customs and Border Protection Building, and one at the Trump hotel.
Eric Ferrero, deputy executive director of the organization, told me, "These predictions are a way to face you more frankly and a powerful way, there is clear information at the door of power.
"Unlike what Krebs did on Corcoran, Bell built the projection with video --
Editing and motion graphics software.
Other software can let him "map" the image, or shape the image so it fits just like a custom wallpaper.
The word follows and flows at the bottom of the foot of the mountain.
The image looks light
Apply to limestone and granite panels.
But like Krebs in corkland, Bell's predictions question the nature of the work inside the building.
On the facade of the Interior Ministry, he untied the name of the national open --
A space monument to reduce the area is being considered.
At the Customs and Border Protection headquarters, he quoted quotes from Amnesty International for migrants or refugees who may be affected by the travel ban.
In his partnership with MoveOn
Org, Bell predicted the "survey Meeting "(
Referring to the Minister of Justice, Jeff Sessions)
And the Justice Department "investigating Trump ".
When an oversized animated magnifying glass crosses the word, the letters change from English to Cyrillic, the alphabet of the Russian language. ---Now, 10: 20. m.
Bell's second round of response in Charlottsville.
He stopped across from Newseum, whose large panel showed the text of the First Amendment, one of his favorite projected walls.
This time, the team put the projector on the roof of the Bell van, after the necessary crazy half
One minute, a simple billboard.
The size of the figure appeared at 30 feet above the Avenue: "Heather Heyer 1985-2017.
Bell aimed his phone at video images.
A minute of silence in memory of the woman killed in Charlottsville.
The sound of a girl walking with her parents is above the sound of traffic. "Look at that! " 9-year-
The old Bianca Gao undergraduate screamed.
Her father, Alex, looked up and saw the name, "I suddenly felt a chill," he told me in a moment.
"I feel the absolute cold in my body.
"Family members from Long Beach, California are saddened by the vague comments made by Charlotte and Trump.
Now, somehow, on a wall in the capital, their anger and frustration boil and explode at the same time.
"I hope her death is not in vain," Linda Gao said . ".
Bianca interjected again: "Look, Dad, it's been doing different things all the time!
"Bell changed the projection after a minute of silence to show the previous information.
Read aloud by Bianca: "This is not an exercise.
It is our duty to stand up.
Next Bell plans his swamp monster.
A series of huge portraits of Trump and his core circle, he has been projecting in town.
These photos are based on photos of him getting creepy when he touches it gently.
Ups, plus a small nod, a slow blink, the color of the eyes, or a glimpse of the teeth.
"That's great," Alex said . "
But Linda GAO disagreed with Bell's outrageous view of a Trump general.
"I think this person actually wants to do the right thing," she said . ".
"I really think he's a patriot.
"I have seen this effect from Bell's prediction before.
Passers-by were attracted by the sight
As Bell told me, the most important criterion for a successful work is, "at the end of the day, it has to look cool "--
Suddenly, the sidewalk turned into a forum, and some viewers clarified their ideas about Bell's outspoken.
The witness completes the projection until Bell unplugs it, and then the stranger is temporarily dazzled through meditation, United and distracted. ---
A few weeks ago, at the opening of the "resistance" art exhibition at the ceiling gallery, Bell was projecting his swamp monster from the ceiling.
He has become a famous man.
Painters, Sculptors and art collectors shook hands with him.
He was interviewed by Japanese public television.
A painter stood up and asked, "What are the most common questions you get ? " Bell replied, "Is this legal ? "
Bell may be suspected of breaking the law.
It is likely to explain part of his artistic charm.
But these predictions may be legitimate.
At the very least, this is the conclusion of Eugene Warlock, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who reviewed Bell's predictions based on legal precedents and published an analysis on the Washington Post website.
Volokh cited an appropriate case in Nevada where the state Court of Appeal held that there was nothing illegal about the Union projecting the information onto the employer's wall.
The court noted that illegal trespassing is often defined as an invasion of a physical object, or when an intangible substance (such as pollution from a factory) causes significant damage to the property.
Thus, these predictions cannot be classified as forms of trespassing.
They may also not be a nuisance: "It is difficult, in the legal sense, to prove that the information predicted is a" nuisance "," Volokh wrote, "at least, unless the information can cause some harmful physical effects, "for example," it shines brightly into the windows of some guests to keep them awake at night.
"The justice on the streets, however, is ultimately more of a negotiated concept.
As long as he likes it, the bells of some nights will not be disturbed.
Other times, interactions with security officials take place at different levels.
When Bell was in the Department of Veterans Affairs, I 've been marking and predicting "where is the debate about Afghanistan" and "Stop the War Machine ". " (
The film is linked to the recent movie "War Machine" starring Brad Pitt, a satirical American filmS.
It's futile in Afghanistan. )
Within seconds, a security guard strode toward the projector.
"Hey man, put that s---down. Shut it down!
Bell introduced himself and held out his hand, and the guard did not shake hands. ---
"Now you put something on the federal building of the government," the guard said . ".
"I know that's what I did.
"You can't do that, sir.
"I can, in fact.
The guard pulled out his retractable baton but did not lift it.
Bell did not think it was time to assert his rights.
The screening time is about three minutes long enough to make videos and stills for social media.
I asked D later. C.
Police predict Bell.
A spokeswoman wrote in an email: "There is no indication that the crime has occurred. " (
A Trump spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. )
For three nights in six projected locations, I have never seen the public react to my hostility --
Although Bell said it did happen
"These predictions provide a place for someone to come in and talk," he said . ".
"But if someone's ideology is so serious that they can't even speak, unfortunately my media can't do anything about it. . . .
You may not agree with me, but at least you can admit that we are having this conversation.
"Of course, the nature of the media means that Bell got the last word.
At 10: 50, there is no one in the judicial Square subway station. m.
When Bell stopped for the third part of his Charlotte trilogy.
He can already see that the video stream that worked that night has aroused strong interest.
They will eventually record nearly 370,000 viewers.
He held a small projector against the wall in front of a statue of Albert Pike, a general of the Southern Union and a member of local intellectuals --
None of the parties have rewritten Dixie in order to better motivate the Southern Union soldiers. (
He was honored by Masons for building Masons after the Civil War. )
Here Bell sees an opportunity to present itself to future action.
A local campaign has called for the removal of the Pike statue, and he hopes to join the national wave of demolition of the statue in the form of a projectionist.
He turned on the projector.
A dotted line appears at the bottom of the statue.
A pair of scissors is cut over and over along this line.
Here are the instructions: "Eliminate Racism on the line.
"Several people caught a glimpse of it through the window of the passing car.
The only pedestrian was an off-duty correctional officer who said, "Wow, it looks good.
Bell silently tracked the tireless reactionRacist scissors
"Overall, my job is easy," he said . "
"The people who do this day --to-
It's hard to work during the day.
On the street.
People in Charlottsville
The idea is that these things want to inspire people, let them know that they are being heard, and inspire them.
"Finally, he turned off the projector about 20 minutes later.
The statue retreated into the shadow as if nothing had happened here. ---
Video: Washington's projectionist Robin Bell received international attention for his rogue light show at Trump International Hotel, from Trump's compensation dispute to how he handled the va in Charlottsville. (Bell Visuals)--