YES!: The Art of Protest! at Good Children Gallery, curated by Generic Art Solutions (GAS)
By Emily Farranto
September 18, 2026
Installation view of The Art of Protest! at Good Children Gallery, curated by Generic Art Solutions.
In 1988, under international pressure and certain he would win, Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet held a plebiscite—a YES or NO vote—to determine whether he would remain in power for eight more years. Both campaigns were given a daily 15-minute spot on late-night television to make their case. The 2012 film, No, is based on the true story of how a goofy, optimistic advertising strategy with peppy graphics and a catchy jingle helped to topple a regime. This story is relevant to anyone working at the intersection of art and protest or anyone curious about how to inspire a population to oust a dictator. The takeaway is that while fear is natural in scary times, art can inspire hope, and hope is the path to positive change.
The Art of Protest! at Good Children Gallery offers a quick dip into the bright pool of pro-protest visuals in favor of prison reform, body autonomy, voting rights, and affordability, free speech and against war, ICE, and genocide. Curated by Tony Campbell and Matt Vis of Generic Art Solutions (GAS), the show brings together the work of more than twenty-five artists, including recognizable names such as Banksy, Jeremy Deller, and Billy Childish. The Art of Protest! immediately gets something right: the walls refuse to name names. There are no labels, no list of works (“No gods, no masters”). Anonymity is also a protective tactic of protest. The art is not for sale —another decision that underscores the ethos and tenor of the exhibition. Profit-seeking is a surefire way to discredit anti-capitalist messaging.
Installation view of The Art of Protest! at Good Children Gallery, curated by Generic Art Solutions.
Personally, I avoid protests, preferring to engage in quieter, more solitary forms of dissent. So, I didn’t enter The Art of Protest! with a pitchfork ready to join the chanting. If anything, I arrived, bracing for a lecture. The immense relief is that this show does not preach. It says nothing beyond the graphics of the work, letting viewers approach and engage. The exhibition covers a wide range of capital “I” Issues, but there is no statement, wall text, or soapboxing. I’ve encountered more aggressive virtue flagging at a dinner party of nice, like-minded people. Which says something significant: the curators trusted the art to do its thing. Frankly, I wish more non-protest art shows would do the same.
There is a lot of work in the gallery—signs, posters, banners, flags, and other objects—but the show does not feel overcrowded; it feels pristine. This is a printmaking exhibition —woodcut, linocut, serigraphy, risograph, letterpress, lithography, and inkjet digital prints—and the mass-producable medium suits the subject of collective action and populist ideals. Most of the work could be accurately described as illustration or graphic design in service of a specific goal. The few pieces that work as standalone art—though ineffective on the street—are more ambiguous. A gorgeous poster, based on a papercut by Rob Ryan, shows an erupting volcano and a small microbus sporting the words “HOME OFFICE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT” in tiny letters. The handwritten title at the bottom of the print reads “What Kinda Fuckery.”
Two piles of signs propped in opposite corners assert “I AM FOR IT” and “I AM AGAINST IT.” Though portable and legible in a crowd, these objects are more conceptual than practical. So is a gas can-turned container for matches with the words “IGNITE CHANGE” hand stamped on one side with GAS (Generic Art Solutions) printed on the other. Both works were made by the show’s curators. When artists organize a show, self-inclusion can sometimes diminish curatorial credibility. But in this case, it feels appropriate. GAS describes their work—which presents in a variety of material forms—as “always rooted in performance.” And while their practice is charged with progressive energy, it’s more thought-provoking than didactic. In this context, it introduces art’s ambiguity, a welcome trait amid so much specificity and certainty.
Installation view of The Art of Protest! at Good Children Gallery, curated by Generic Art Solutions.
The Art of Protest! is an apt title, issued with the punctuation of hype. The phrase’s two meanings are slightly oversimplified, much like protest posters. (“FREE THEM ALL” may sound good in theory, but poses a direct threat to the most vulnerable among us. “FREE SOME prisoners” doesn’t have the same umph.) The title suggests the work on the walls is art of protest and/or that protest is an artform.
The “NO” campaign that helped oust Pinochet is an example of how creative thinking—problem solving outside the predictable response—can effect significant change. The ad campaign exemplified the power of visual language. But, most importantly, it moved a population past the paralysis that often follows terror and prolonged oppression and inspired them to hope and to be heard. (It must be noted that in real life, credit also goes to voter-registration workers and generals refusing to comply with Pinochet’s intention to disregard the vote.) The Art of Protest! is a carefully curated, brilliantly installed exhibition of visual expression. Co-curator Tony Campbell put it this way to me: “A beautifully-made protest poster lives longer in your window and on the streets. When your voice is hoarse, the poster’s voice is undiminished.”
Installation view of The Art of Protest! at Good Children Gallery, curated by Generic Art Solutions. Image by Emily Farranto.
The Art of Protest! was on view at Good Children Gallery from August 8 – September 6, 2026. 4037 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA 70117. Participating artists included: Atlan Arceo-Witzl, Banksy, Laurent Bennor, Whitney Bradshaw, Tony Campbell, Billy Childish, Ian Cozzens, Jeremy Deller, Kiernan Dunn, John Fitzgerald, Freee, Babak Ganjei, Miles Glyn, Paul Kelly, Michael Marriott, Andrea Narno, Peckham Keffiyeh, Plus Unknown Artist, Rob Ryan, Garrett Richardson, Stafford Schmool, Meg Turner, Courtney Webster, Eren Wilson, Art Taxi Driver, generic art solutions, paris68redux, RG Studios, and Santa Cecilia.