Raising for Myanmar

In each of Raising for Myanmar’s 21 works, you’ll find something unique and empowering – there’s an important reason for this. 

This project saw Migrate Art collaborate with some of the world’s leading artists including Tacita Dean, Guerrilla Girls, Jeremy Deller, Sean Scully and Sarah Lucas, each of whom produced ‘protest posters’ to raise funds for the victims of the violent military coup that struck the country in February 2021. 

The posters were released in a timed edition, available to buy over a one-month period at £50 each. A poster was printed with each purchase, and by the end, the project raised a total of £28,600. This was donated to Mutual Aid Myanmar, in support of its civilians fighting for democracy.

Raising for Myanmar – the story

On 1st of February, 2021, Myanmar’s political system was turned on its head as its democratically elected members were deposed by the military. The coup threw hundreds of thousands of lives into uncertainty as civilians were stripped of their democratic rights. 

But in the midst of this unthinkable chaos, art sprung. 

Creative protest signs, digital art, graffiti and shared memes on social media flowed in an attempt to defy what was happening. A Facebook page called Art for Freedom Myanmar was made, which became a platform for artists to share their work for the public to use freely. A group of filmmakers also started documenting the injustices in the streets, with the intention of sharing the real story as far and wide as possible. They called themselves Latt Thine Chaung, which means ‘three fingers’ in Myanmar. Abroad, the two groups were helped by the UK-based Professional Cartoonists Organisation, whose members made political cartoons in support of the people of Myanmar. 

The three groups collectively formed a movement – Raise Three Fingers. This name, and this movement became a symbolic representation of protest art in the country. 

In response to this, Migrate Art joined the protest by inviting renowned artists across the world to create a series of ‘protest posters’. 

Some represent anger and frustration. Others depict a visual representation of the symbolic raised fingers. One simply reads, ‘Oh God’. Together, they revolt against a political system that strips people of their freedom. 

See the posters below.