.Best Intersection of Art, Politics, and PowerPoint

Pecha Kucha at EastSide Cultural Center

Shortly after its 2003 inception in Tokyo, the Pecha Kucha party format
caught on throughout Asia, then bubbled up in European and American
hipster scenes. It’s a simple, creative idea: A group of artists (eight
to fourteen, ideally) present twenty slides of their work for twenty
seconds apiece. Originally designed as a forum for Japanese architects
to showcase their portfolios, it’s a useful format for business
meetings, lectures, or any person wanting to present a wide range of
material in a compressed time slot. Oakland’s iteration of the party
naturally has its own spin. Organizers Weyland Southon (of Hard Knock
Radio fame), Maisha Quint (of EastSide Arts Alliance), and Estriya
Miyashiro (Samurai Graphix) seek out artists who work in a variety of
media and produce socially relevant, politically inspired material.
Since launching the party last October, they’ve featured a wide range
of local notables, from graffiti muralist Suzie Lundy to hydroponic
gardener Eric Maundu to “thrift couture” experts from the women-owned
company Conscious Fashionistas. Each party has an overarching theme
(e.g., “new,” “love,” or “good/green/earth”), and participants are
given lots of latitude in how they interpret it. “New” included
“new-wave cooking” demonstrations by Oakland chef Bryant Terry while
“love” featured a presentation on “homo thug love” by queer Filipino
artist Joël Tan. In contrast to other Pecha Kuchas, Oakland
emphasizes art and politics over entrepreneurship. It’s clearly one of
a kind. The party happens every other month on second Fridays.

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