"This Beautiful Installation Reveals the Money Behind the Dakota Access Pipeline," Anna Sterling, KCET Artbound
Though the encampments at Standing Rock have gone and President Trump’s executive order has cleared the way for construction, the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline continues. And right now, it’s taking place inside an art gallery.
When you enter the Hammer Museum, you’re greeted by a huge mural of flowing lines in various shades of green, red and blue, intersecting at both ends of the wall. It might look like just a beautiful piece of art, but upon closer inspection you see names of banks on one side, dollar amounts flowing through and the names of four firms on the other end.
“We had the chart up first and when people walked by, they thought it was funders or donors to the institution,” said , the artist behind the exhibit. “But when I put up the giant recycled lights with the slogans, people totally stopped and spent so much time with the mural.”
It’s an infographic come to life in the form of fine art. It shows where funds from the Dakota Access pipeline come from. Together with a light installation and a wall of silkscreened ribbons, these elements make up Bowers’ exhibition at the Hammer Museum.