Harare Review of Books

254 pages. Published July 16, 2024 by Three Rooms Press. Non-fiction/Art/Political commentary.

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Three Rooms Press delivers thought-provoking and provocative art through this series. The theme for Maintenant 18 is PLUTOCRAZY. In the introduction, editors Peter Carlaftes and Kat Georges explain: “We separate Merch and State by forging a non-monetary vision which reveals strategies to achieve socio-poliical and economic equality that expose the military-industrial complex by linking warfare with capitalism.”

In the form of visual art, poetry and other written pieces, a multitude of artists from around the world critique plutocracy in powerful ways. In the midst of hurricanes (Uche Nduka, US) and war (Carli Munoz, Puerto Rico), billionaires prosper, and throw parties at Ground Zero (Regina LaFay Bellamy, UK). Capitalism and Plutocracy are the same thing (Tchello D’Barros, Brazil). It’s business as usual—the business of death (Renaat Ramon, Belgium). Technology is plutocracy’s tool (Tecnofobia, Avelino de Araujo, Brazil). CEOs are gods (CEO-GOD, Robert Petrick US). The rich can have the moon if they want, or Shakespeare’s skull, or a herd of pink baby elephants (A Small Gesture, Angela Sloan, US). Refugees are grown at home (Margaret Leonard, US). Gaza is a monochromatic scene of destruction (Malak Mattar, Gaza City, Palestine). The Pentagon sees dollar signs in war, 365 days of the year (A. D. Winans, US).

Consumers are savage shoppers, “Warriors in the war of consumption” (Carl Watson, US) and waste money in elaborate ways (Sharon Mesmer, US) while temperatures rise: “Before the planet burns/I recommend stocking up/On your favorite highlighters/And some nice bright lipsticks/Since you never know/Who you might meet/In the afterlife/And it never hurts/To look your best.” (Saving the World, Puma Perl, US). Plutocrats feed on the working class, “subjugating laborers in wage slavery,/disposing of all ethics in the name of/money./Your system is built on oppression/from genocide to global slave trade/and empires both royal and corporate./….you have robbed the workers!” (D. L. Lang, US). Humanity is drowning (Robyn Mallery, US). We’re phone zombies (Anthony Bartolla, US). It’s Pluto Economics (Allison A. Davis, US). “The wrong people in this world have all the money.” (Ten Dollars, J. R. Solonche, US). The aftermath of civilisation is grim (Steve Dalachinsky); so’s the Earth Report (Belinda Subraman, US). The Game of Life is a Monopoly (Christian Georgescu, US).

This work is meant to be unsettling, and it is.

But the people are not powerless; We the People (We We We, Mary Campbell, US). There’s hope beyond the grid (Egon Guenther, Germany). We can dream of new ways of relating (Where Bodies Again Recline, Harry E. Northup, US). Consumerism and war will be overcome by love (Santiago Amaya, US). We can resist (Let’s Go Autocrazy, Prince McNally, US). Revolution is possible (Power of the People, Wer Da, Germany). We might Eat the Rich (With Custard) (Rachel Dixon, UK). We will rise, untethered (Annaliese Jakimides, US). The Earth will outlive us; ferns will unfurl in the abundance of recovery (Lillian Davies, France).

Thanks to Three Rooms Press and Edelweiss for access to an early copy.

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