Be sure to catch a glimpse of the newest Agitators Collective installation, Be Wary (Evil Eye), on view at the Jersey City Museum in the Atrium Gallery from September 18 through December 21, 2008. “The colorful ‘evil’ eyes, a play on superstition, will protect the Museum from evil and guard the precious art inside” (from the exhibition press release). The evil eyes are vinyl and will be adhered to the Museum’s front windows.
Agitators Collective, founded in 2006, is a group of artists who have made it their mission to beautify the urban locales that have fallen into neglect or dereliction in Jersey City. In the words of the Collective “Dostoevsky once proclaimed that beauty will save the world, to which Mayakovsky replied, ‘Ah, but who will save beauty?’ The Agitators Collective accepts Mayakovsky’s challenge: ‘We will save beauty!’ “ Guerilla-like and spontaneous, the Collective creates installations that engage local audiences, often documenting their responses to the work. They use materials as diverse as candy, balloons, Christmas lights, paint, wood, and found objects. To view some of the Collective’s other installations visit their Flickr link.