What would a city without consumerism look like? This was one of the questions in the minds of ‘ad hackers’ around the world when they took part in co-ordinated advertising take-over #SubvertTheCity. Over 500 corporate advertising panels were replaced last March with art work that queried consumerism and capitalism, or expressed solidarity with political struggles and oppressed groups, including refugees.
#SubvertTheCity answered a call to action from Subvertisers International, an urban art movement founded to challenge corporate advertising. Adverts were substituted or changed in over 40 cities, including Berlin, Bristol, Buenos Aires, Paris, New York, Melbourne and Tehran.