"Branding Terror" Exhibition

​Superchief Gallery

poster for "Branding Terror" Exhibition

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Superchief Gallery at Culturefix proudly presents a week-long joint exhibition about the symbolism and iconography of insurgent groups, BRANDING TERROR and PETER MISSING of Missing Foundation.

Peter Missing of Missing Foundation:

In the mid-1980s Peter Missing founded the industrial noise group Missing Foundation, which thrived in the dilapidated, crime-ridden Lower East Side of New York City’s feared and revered “Bad Old Days.” He designed and popularized Missing Foundation’s symbol that would come to represent the movement against this aggressive New York style gentrification. It is an upside down wine glass with a cross-out over the spill, meaning “The Party’s Over.” In this case, Pete means to indicate that “The Party’s Over” for the whole lot of us – and all of Western Civilization.

In an era of squatters, homeless encampments and hardcore punk, Missing Foundation revolted aggressively against the impending city-sponsored tidal wave of yuppies and police to the neighborhood. They were banned from CBGBs for starting a fire inside the club, and soon found themselves banned from most venues in New York and America.

After the Tompkins Square Park “police riot” in 1988 kicked off the aggressive conflict between squatters, poor people and homeless people in the Lower East Side, the media blamed Peter and Missing Foundation for instigating the riots. They focused on his mysterious symbol, appearing painted all over the city and representing a mysterious underground force. In the newspapers and a three-part CBS News special, Missing Foundation was blamed for being instigators, and labeled a “Cult of Rage.” The media heat forced Peter into exile in 1993 to Berlin, Germany where he remained producing his body of experimental visual and musical work for 20 years.

His exhibition with Superchief Gallery will reclaim and reexamine his symbol twenty years after being labeled a “terrorist group” in New York City. He’ll also present his music new and old, including unreleased tracks from Missing Foundation to his new group, Missing Seven Hazard. Cyril Mazard from Missing Seven Hazard will also display music, artwork, and their new book, CASH AND KILL. Returning home from his 20 year exile from New York, Peter’s work still maintains the theme it did during the chaotic days of Missing Foundation, “A rebellion against a government which has lost sight of culture and humanity.”

Branding Terror:

Branding Terror is the first comprehensive survey of the visual identity of the world’s major terrorist organizations, from al-Qaeda and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to the Tamil Tigers. It features over 60 organizations and focuses on the details of their visual branding; symbolism, colors, and typography of their logos and flags — analyzed in detail. Branding Terror offers insight into an understudied area of counter-intelligence, and provides an original and provocative source of inspiration for graphic designers. Superchief Gallery at Culturefix will be celebrating the book’s release with an exhibition of large-scale painted terrorist logos. Copies of the book as well as the books authors will be present at the show.

About the authors of Branding Terror:
ARTUR BEIFUSS works for the United Nations as a counter-terrorism analyst.

FRANCESCO TRIVINI BELLINI is a graphic designer who has created the branding identity of various companies and cultural institutions.

STEVEN HELLER, former Art Director at the New York Times, is the author or co-author of more than 120 books on design and popular culture.

Media

Schedule

from April 26, 2013 to May 03, 2013

Opening Reception on 2013-04-26 from 18:00 to 23:00

Artist(s)

Peter Missing

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