The Art Project
Photography, Journalism. And art: Protestonaut (lat.: protestari – publicly testify, gr.: -nautes – sailor) is an art project intending to draw attention to important socio-political challenges through photos and texts.
The concept: Astronauts are explorers and they have to deal with a lot of tasks. In space they float above the problems of the blue planet. Anybody can be in that Protestonaut costume: the shop assistant, the cashier, the local politican, the student, the manager, the workless, the teacher, the person of independent means – even you.
The wall calendar that was created by the project is a kick-off presentation in a printed form that is intended to provide food for thought and stimulate discussion. Although the choice of the subjects, motives and sources of information evaluate, maximum objectivity was maintained and the texts refer to studies and literature.
The last years were exciting for the Protestonaut in many ways. Last year’s edition of the calendar received a great deal of positive feedback. There was even a motivating letter from the Office of the Federal President. The project has also been shown at exhibitions in Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden and Heidelberg and nominated in various competitions.
The Protestonaut Calendar 2018
Around 700 million children worldwide have no childhood worthy of the name. Instead of being able to learn and develop without a care, they are confronted with poverty, hunger, violence and physical exploitation. More than a quarter of a century ago, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted and ratified by almost all states. However, there is still a lack of legal implementation on an international level.
Themes: Child poverty (January), Right to day-care place (February), Right to free time (March), Healthy diet (April), Flight (May), Bullying (June), Inclusion (July), Child labour (August), Right to education (September), Social media (October), Violence against children (November) and Right to both parents (December).
The Protestonaut Calendar 2017
About ten years have passed since the outbreak of the financial and banking crisis. Hoping to be able to resolve the resulting upheavals in the globally networked financial and economic system, many countries have opted for a policy that takes different names: Euphemistically, it is known as „savings policy“, neutrally as „cost-cutting policy“ or „austerity policy“ and by many of those affected as „impoverishment policy „. No other country in Europe has as much experience with austerity as Greece. The Protestonaut went there to get to know and document effects and developments.
Themes: Nationalism, Closed shop (February), Solidarity (March), Building ruins (April), Industrial production (May), Health care (June), Tourism (July), Rural exodus (August), Schools and kindergartens (September), Forced privatisation (October), Suicide rate (November) and Self-organisation (December).
The Protestonaut Calendar 2016
There was a trend towards tabloid topics in the media. Banalities and rumours were blocking the perception of the key issues: That is what it said in the last edition of the Protestonaut calendar. Has anything changed since then? Thanks to extensive coverage, media consumers in Germany now know how the Queen of England lives in private. And as long as a candidate who falls at the first hurdle in a TV quiz show is news, the world seems to be in perfect order. Is that the case?
Themes: Digital Transformation (January), Pensions (February), Addiction (March), Refugees welcome (April), Bonus: T-Shirt Design against youth unemployment, Skilled Workers (May), Tax Evasion (June), Drinking Water (July), Overfishing (August), Gentrification (September), Wage Gap (October), To be or not to be (November) and Animal Welfare (December).
Exhibitions
The art project Protestonaut could be seen in three exhibitions in Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden and Heidelberg since 2015.
Protestonaut pictures for your Home
You get elegant pictures with the Protestonaut for your wall at Photocircle. More than only your wall makes our art happy: For any picture you buy Photocircle plants trees.
The T-Shirt
On the one hand, millions of qualified and highly motivated job seekers, and on the other, companies looking for skilled workers: On Labour Day on 1 May, the Protestonaut brought out a T-shirt which brings both groups together.
The purpose of the T-shirt is to provide a positive stimulus, to help companies searching for skilled worker, to support the unemployed in finding a job and to express solidarity with the unemployed. Because it is a transnational challenge, the message is also international.
The design can be downloaded free of charge and used for non-commercial purposes.
About Us
< Sophia Hauk
Kids, stars or fashion models: whomever, stands in front of Sophia’s lens, always shine. Amongst her clients are well-known companies, agencies and magazines. She lives and works as a freelance photographer in Hamburg and Berlin.
Alexander Hauk >
Who are the candidates for the next election? What are the issues that count? Which campaigns are getting the most attention? The Bundestag elections are as exciting for Alex as the Bundesliga is for the average German. The diploma political scientist works as a spokesman.
Contact and Legal Information:
Sophia Lukasch Photography // Studio Berlin // Simplonstraße 34 // 10245 Berlin // Germany // t: +49 171 7260007 // m: mail@sophialukasch.com