Augmented Reality Activism - Augmented Reality Art - page 4

1.2 Past Activists and Their Technology

Activism has a long and accomplished history of creating change on a global
scale long before the incorporation of electronic technology. Societies have always
organized against repression by any means available. They have been organizing
and participating in mass protests against the political and corporate elite since the
beginning of recorded history. One of the first recorded mass protests took place
in ancient Egypt when workers constructing a royal necropolis did not receive
payment. They performed a sit in inside the mortuary temples and refused to leave
until they received it (Andrews 2012 ).
Recently, Egyptians again rose up in protest and occupied the Tahrir Square. This
time they were aided by technologies like cell phones and social media. With or
without technology, humans will adapt to the situation and use whatever is available
to create social change when faced with injustice. Long ago fires and bells were used
to signal approaching danger. Paul Revere used lanterns to warn of the approaching
British forces. Technology will never be a fix-all solution to fight injustice but it can
aid activists to help level the playing field against the corrupt elite.
Another example: In 1888 Jacob Riis began documenting the horrific living
conditions of the lower classes in the New York City slums (see Fig. 1.2 ). Riis made
the their largely unseen and unknown living conditions visible to the world by using

Fig. 1.2 Jacob Riis, Five Cents a Spot (1974) (Images reproduced courtesy of the Museum of
Modern Art)