As part of IMMIGRANTS OCCUPY, Immigrant Movement International’s December 18 call for actions for International Migrant’s Day , Ghana ThinkTank posted Guerilla bus ads promoting the benefits Immigrants bring to our country. This action came out of a summer collaboration with Immigrant Movement International/ Tania Bruguera that dealt...

One problem had to do with people being divided from each other by computers even when they share physical space. So, our Zapotan Think Tank in Mexico came up with the idea of a sort of physical facebook status to affix to your computer: Where are the senses in digital learning? True connection and synergy ...

These two solutions sent our presentation at MobilityShifts through some wild and often uncomfortable turns: How can we maintain a personal connection with others when we are online? ⇒ Blackouts increase intimacy, coping strategies (Gaza) PPT is ruining our minds ⇒ Do Social Theater Instead (El Salvador) After failing to get permission (or...

In response to the problem “How can we make sure that accessibility doesn’t hinder the pleasure of reading?”, the think tanks in Gaza, Serbia and Prison came back with related solutions: Our think tank in Gaza told us to “Sit on the roof with a book and watch the sunset. We recommend “Orientalism” by Edward ...

Our think tank in Taiwan came up with a rather oblique and exciting solution for one particular Digital problem: How can availability of information not become mere distraction? Taiwan recommended we form a community of common interest other than technology or education. So, we thought about what interests people at MobilityShifts would share...

PROBLEM: The Theatre here shows crap. They don’t do anything for today… just for old people. -Karlsruhe SOLUTION: We concretely suggest to make a week long «Novela» (Maria la del barrio, Marimar, Cuna de Lobos, La Madrastra…) so that you show in the street very human and dramatic situations, such as two women bitch/slapping each ...

Problem: The Theatre here shows crap. They don’t do anything for today… just for old people. Solution: To the boring plays in the theater> Make what we call here Hapenings, this means taking a public place by assault and develop a play there. We concretlly suggest to make a week long «Novela» (Maria la del ...

Problem:The topography of Karlsruhe is so flat and boring. -Karlsruhe Solution: Learn Parkour so you realize that Karlsruhe is not a plain. If your city has buildings, then your city is not flat. -Mexico Here are some shots from the first Parkour Action/Training at ZKM we put together in response! Videos here and here. More ...

Problem: “The pesticides we are putting on our lawns are causing cancer in our community.” Solution: “Learn to love dandelions.” (Mexico) Questioned by German Polizei for digging in public park at night. Showed our ZKM ID, they nodded, muttered “kunst” (art) and moved on&#...

Problem:The topography of Karlsruhe is so flat and boring.-Karlsruhe Problem: Die Topographie Karlsruhes ist so flach und langweilig. -Karlsruhe Solution: Learn Parkour so you realize that Karlsruhe is not a plain. If your city has buildings, then your city is not flat. -Mexico Lösung: Lernt Parkour so dass Ihr realisiert das Karlsruhe nicht so...

Another solution we’ve recycled from the olden days is Cuba’s solution to “neighboring communities that do not interact”: set up a chess table in a public place, labelled with shorthand for the two groups who don’t get along. Soon representatives will show up, and the interactions will begin. For Germany, we pitted...

After passing several towering churches built centuries ago, we roll up on the church we will be attending, the Christliche Gemeinde Jesus für alle Nationen (“All Christian Believers’ Fellowship”), which is housed in a large garage with a huge Garage Door. As the Pastor pointed out later, when he opened it to help cool the ...

Another problem submitted to the Ghana ThinkTank in Corona was that Immigrants feel they are being harassed by police while waiting on the street. One of the solutions we received for this problem was to create informational cards for harassed Immigrants to hand to Police Officers to explain their situation. So, we took our cue ...

After running focus groups with several representative populations in Corona, Queens, on the effectiveness of potential adverts promoting Immigrants, we hung our first two bus ads with the following statements: “I came here to be an American” and “Made by Immigrants“, paired with a shot of the Brooklyn Bridge in front of...

note: these quotes are from a selection of officers, and are not necessarily the words of the officer pictured here Last week the Ghana ThinkTank attended the 110th Precinct’s ‘Night Out Against Crime’ in Flushing Meadow Corona Park, with one major agenda item: get police to respond to this query: This solution came from our ...

Ghana ThinkTank returned to Corona for to establish Legal Waiting Zones again, this time with municipal signs. More photos here, and more info here...

After a month bringing the Ghana ThinkTank Tank to different parts of Corona, Queens, the most consistent issues being raised seemed to be about the situation of Immigrants in Corona. One one side, the more established residents complained about these newcomers, expressing concerns like “I am becoming a minority in my own...

Building a picnic table (thanks Nico, Avery and Stefan!) in the empty stretch of grass poking through broken pavement soon to be known as Spruce St. Park… More photos here...

translation: LEGAL WAITING ZONE: YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO WAIT HERE FOR A FRIEND, YOUR MOM, OR SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS TOO, HOT IN YOUR APARTMENT. Casale v. Kelly, 2009 WL 1159187 (S.D.N.Y., April 28, 2009). When the Ghana ThinkTank Mobile Unit rolled into Corona for our show at the Queens Museum of Art, one ...

I just uploaded a video of some of the actions, and some installation shots, from the Ghana Think Tank in Wales...

Kenny wanted to make an African instrument. Specifically, he wanted to teach drug addicted peole in Liverpool how to make African instruments from materials they could find on the street, so they could play on the street and make a few quid while gouching , “you know, instead a robbin’ people.” Serbia recommended we get ...

J had complained that the weather in Liverpool is miserable: “All the fun things I want to do involve it being sunny and nice outside, and its not, its miserable all the time here in England. Can you think of anything you’d like to do if it were rainy and cold. Maybe some inventive ideas…” ...

All photos in this post by Jennifer Welch Tim, a lecturer in Popular Music at JMU, had complained about cars always parking on the pavement (sidewalk) by his work. When we met with him, he said that when the nursery is letting out, tons of pedestrians (including parents with their tots in pushchairs [strollers]) have ...

The Ghana Think Tank was part of the 2009 RISD New England Almuni Biennial at the Arsenal Center for the Arts...

During the Autumn of 2008, the Ghana Think Tank came to Westport, CT, as part of the Optimism show at the Westport Art Center, curated by Michael Connor. Using “man on the street” interviews and anonymous mailboxes distributed throughout town, we collected problems form the residents of Westport, CT, and sent them to think tanks ...

To resolve our disgust with Powerpoint as an art-discussing technology, the Salvadoran think tank suggested we perform socio dramas instead of powerpoints, so we developed a sociodrama based on the imaginary world of TheySaySmall as it related to the films and theory of Trinh T. Minh-ha. Classmates adopted the roles of characters engaged in...

On the advice of our Ghanaian and Cuban counterparts, we set up a chess and checkers table at the JWU quad, and invited passersbsy to sit down for a game. Turns out JWU didn’t even realize the building across the street was full of RISD students! Watch a video or check out the flowchart here...