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Humor and creativity often plays a central role when civil disobedience movements develop their tools and tactics.
Sometimes these tools even turn into works of art, such as ‘Suited for Subversion’ developed by Ralph Borland as a part of his Master’s Degree at New York University.
Inspired by notorious activist-networks such as Ya Basta and Tute Bianche, Borland created a bubble-suit shaped as a big red heart, designed to protect the wearer at large scale street protests.
The suit – which can be worn with our without clothes underneath – also monitors the wearer’s pulse and projects an amplified heartbeat out of a speaker. Naturally, it’s not really the material itself but the obvious vulnerability and self-irony that is most likely to pacify the opposition and win over public support.
Suited for Subversion took part in SAFE: Design Takes on Risk at the New York Museum of Modern Art in 2005/2006.
Related: Surveillance Camera Players + Hello Mr.President.