tiny trump is artist and designer Eric Corriel‘s response to the current political climate (as we wait for climate change). A crowd-sourced public art installation that harnesses the energy, will, and geographic diversity of the public to inject resistance totems into the NYC landscape and beyond. Each tiny trump is handmade from recycled cardboard and measures 2 feet high by 11 inches wide. You can even make your own. Watch the process here.
Corriel wants you to receive a few tiny trumps, and has designated October 21st from 10pm–10am as “making trump tiny again” day; this is when everyone will deposit their TTs into the public space, place wherever you are. “If we act in unison people will awake one morning to find that they are, in fact, bigger than Donald Trump,” says Corriel.
There will also be some TTs available at the Art as Witness exhibition at the SVA Chelsea Gallery at the opening on Thursday, Oct 11th (see more details on @thedailyheller on September 28. There will also be some in Washington, DC at the Center for Contemporary Political Art at the same time.
Artists’ Statement
“Donald Trump projects himself as a larger than life figure, but to me, his tempestuous and blustery personality are simply a cover for something very different: immense insecurity and mental fragility.
When I hear “in short period of time I understood everything there was to know about health care” and “I know the details of taxes better than anybody.” I do not see a “genius,” I see someone who is insecure about his intelligence and desperate to provide cover for what he doesn’t know.
When I see the president of the United States throwing paper towels at survivors of a natural disaster as though he were playing arcade basketball, I don’t see someone who is trying to lighten the mood, I see a person who either can’t or doesn’t want to be seen empathizing with minorities.
When I see him condemn “both sides,” pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and retweet the most offensive anti-Muslim videos without context, I see a morally weak leader unwilling to condemn bigotry, hatred, and racism.
When I see the record rate at which he lies and the contempt he has for journalistic institutions I see someone who simply isn’t mentally strong enough to engage with the truth.
When I see him engage in tit-for-tat reprisals with Rosie O’Donnell, Mika Brzezinski, Megyn Kelly, and boast about “grabbing [women] by the pussy,” I see a misogynist.
And when he insults a Muslim gold star family, calls Mexicans “drug dealers, criminals, rapists”, and refers to black majority countries as “shitholes,” I see a xenophobe and a racist.
In short, I do not see a big man when I look at donald trump. Quite the opposite. I see a small-minded and petty man. So small. I see tiny trump. And I am not alone.
tiny trump gives those who see through trump’s bluster a means to exert themselves in a publicly visible and meaningful way.
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About Steven Heller
Steven Heller is the co-chair of the SVA MFA Designer /Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program, writes frequently for Wired and Design Observer. He is also the author of over 170 books on design and visual culture. He received the 1999 AIGA Medal and is the 2011 recipient of the Smithsonian National Design Award.View all posts by Steven Heller →