Graffiti aLive | #Bangladesh #july36 Tribute Projection Mapping

#graffiti #madmapper #projection #mapping

How much power does art hold? Yes, Google and AIs can give you fancy answers. But I am here to tell you about what I have seen and experienced. It wasn't so long ago, and maybe not even very far from where you reside. One of the most evil dictators of all time was taken down by the strange power of graffiti.

Here's a quick summary -- in Bangladesh, a tiny South Asian country, a trant had been running a pro-fascism weirdocracy for nearly two decades, despite not even being democratically elected. The citizens were forbidden from protesting against or even criticizing this illegitimate government, until the floodgates broke loose in July 2024.

In the rest of the world, July ended on its 31st day, but in Bangladesh, we kept counting until the 36th day, when the revolution finally came to a successful end. It started with a few hundred students, who were later joined by their teachers and their parents, and even by random pedestrians, street hawkers. Before long, people of every color and creed began to march toward the super-secure residence of the Corruptor-in-Chief, the dictatorial Prime Minister herself.

Social media was the first vehicle of the protests, so the government decided to curb it through a nationwide internet shutdown. However, that only motivated people to grab their brushes and spray cans of paint and paint their emotions on the eager walls of the city. The art cavalry had arrived.

And finally, on July 36, 2025 (August 5 for the rest of the world), the fascist finally made an escape, leaving behind a Bangladesh that was broken but not beaten. During the 36 days of the July revolution, 1,400 people were killed, over 36,000 were grievously injured. The government retaliated against the protests with law enforcement forces backed by fully armed military personnel, along with their usual fleets of government officials, oligarchs, media vultures and celebrity puppets.

As if to only highlight the unfairness and imbalance of the entire situation, the protesters consisted almost entirely of civilian citizens. A few university students began the protest with next to no support, but when a carelessly fired police bullet took the life of Abu Sayeed, one of the innocent protesters, the people of the country finally realized that not even the law was on their side, resulting in the fuse finally being lit.

Why did I have to make Graffiti aLive?
I am a professional projection mapping artist, and I felt compelled to use that skill to bring life to these revolutionary examples of graffiti. I saw the life they hold inside them.