UC used a backhoe as a weapon of destruction in the recent massacre at People’s Park. We wrapped it up as a gift to give back to UC. Art seminar 10 am, art workshop 11 am – 3 pm, and permanent exhibit opening at 4 pm.

In the artist’s own words:

Saturday, September 3, 2022, exactly a month after the terrible events occurred at People’s Park, the community of People’s Park is going to wrap up a special gift back to the UC Berkeley administration. We don’t want it! Spaniard artist 233 (2amon 3lanco-3arrera) is leading an art project fruit of collective thought, sharing and work, promoted by People’s Park Council and supported by the whole community of People’s Park. The idea is to contribute through contemporary art with People’s Park’s struggle against the powerful unfair capitalist establishment in which every human being coexist.

233 is the artist name of Ramon Blanco-Barrera, a Ph.D. with a specialization in large-scale installations to raise awareness on human rights concepts and values. He is also a Faculty Member at the University of Seville, Spain. He teaches new media-based courses and his art practice and research explore social and political issues all over the world. More specifically, his work tries to send inspiring messages in order to engage and make people reflect about their lives and communities, both local and universal, trans-creating with people and using the number ‘233’ in reference to the ‘identity game’ of our current overpopulated world system.

From Lloyd Roble-Nebres, Filipino-American writer:

There are gifts... and then there are Gifts.

One is transcendent, in its simple and elemental purity: I give this to you, with no
strings or ribbons attached. Take it: for I love and cherish you.

The other is transgressive: I give it to you, wrapped in these blue and gold colors
of history and hypocrisy. Take it: for I question and challenge you.

It's this latter type that is Ramon Blanco-Barrera’s vision of the Gift
that the People's Park community is giving back to the
university.

Wrapped in fields of blue tarp, be-ribboned in the colors of the University, it
immediately draws the eye to the center of the park, where the now-cloaked giant
backhoe sits — something of a Trojan horse. But it's a horse containing not hidden,
marauding, Greeks... but instead provocative ideas and simmering sentiments.

It's an almost alien construct, something clearly not belonging to the park — but
the now-enwrapped object of which was moved there by the institution, to start
its decades-planned divestiture. One to erase an open, green space into a
residential campus — itself already surrounded by blocks and blocks of housing,
office buildings, retail establishments.

So there this gift-wrapped object sits, presented by the active spirits and People of the park to the University, in a gesture saying: we give this right back to you... it is not wanted.

Drawing the eye with its sharply-imagined visual and graphic contradictions
posed in a stark and startling way, the People’s Park Gift announces its brazen
defiance: it is the anti-gift, a vivid blue and gold manifesto of resistance, a
statement that cannot be missed.

~ an observer

Photos: Evelyn Sinclair

WEEKEND EVENTS:

DISORIENTATION WEEKEND at People’s Park!
Discover the park – get involved – meet students and community members!

SATURDAY September 3
10 am: Huge art project in the park.
Come help wrap a massive gift for UC!! And help place our own National Register plaque.
5–8 pm: FREE CONCERT!!!
A night of Vibes, Hip-Hop and Neo-Soul!
Featuring Cas’ti, Oddity, Kahj & Versa‚m

SUNDAY September 4
Non-Violent Direct Action Training 10:30 am – 6 pm
A day long prep session for taking action to defend the park
Contact: weddress777@gmail.com

Save People’s Park!!! defendthepark.org IG @peoplesparkberkeley

Text SAVETHEPARK to 74121 to join the bulldozer alarm text alert

Let 1000 Parks Bloom!