Corporate capture of our government is invisible by design, enabling powerful companies to manipulate policy and undermine progressive change across a wide variety of issue areas without repercussions. To combat this, the Capitol Inc. Campaign uses digital art as a tool for people to see how the harm that flows from outsized corporate influence shows up in our society.
We want to build a world where business activities are not built on labor and human rights abuses; where corporations are not emboldened to attack their critics, whether in the courts or on the streets; and where the government is responsive to the people and the public interest, instead of to corporate donors.
This starts with attacking one of the most sinister sources of power for corporate influence: that almost no one can see it happen. Through Capitol, Inc, we are combining art, technology and social justice to reveal this hidden world of corporate power and influence happening all around us!
Learn more about the campaign
- New Installation: ICARUS
- ICAR's Invisible DC Block Party
- Experience the Art for Yourself
- AR Art: A Look Behind the Scenes with Alfredo Salazar-Caro
- AR Art: A Look Behind the Scenes with Emma Robbins
New Installation: ICARUS
The groundbreaking piece, entitled ICARUS, is the work of award-winning artist Peter Wu+, and was commissioned by the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR) as the latest installation of the Capitol, Inc. project. This new installation is placed at the UN Headquarters in Geneva and is set to be unveiled at the 12th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights. ICARUS exposes the ever-present insidious threat of corporate capture across the world. It is created to illustrate the invisible hand of corporate influence manipulating policy, government bodies and systems to serve their interests across industries.
ICAR's Invisible DC Block Party
On June 8th, 2022, we threw an “Invisible DC Block Party” on the National Mall in Washington D.C. in order to reinvigorate and draw more public attention to our Capitol, Inc Campaign. With live music and a short program, the event showcased four augmented reality art installations that reveal how deep corporate influence runs in Washington D.C. Check out our short event video!
Experience the Art for Yourself
Explore four digital art installations in the Capitol, Inc. campaign created by BIPOC artists covering the oil & gas industry, big agribusiness, private prisons, and Indigenous peoples' rights. Each installations unravels the layers behind the invisible hand of corporate power and how it causes harm in each of the issues covered in the campaign. Each progressive issue is --at least-- in part a corporate accountability issue.
AR Art: A Look Behind the Scenes with Alfredo Salazar-Caro
Watch Capitol, Inc. Artist Alfredo Salazar-Caro talk about the inspiration behind his piece which is visual poem meant to honor and uplift the agricultural workers across the US coming from the Latin diaspora. The piece illustrates how the prioritization of corporate profit in the agricultural industry sabotages progress on host of social justice issues. View our short video to learn more.
AR Art: A Look Behind the Scenes with Emma Robbins
Watch Capitol, Inc. Artist Diné Emma Robbins talk about why she created her augmented reality piece. Her piece links the exploitation of Indigenous land and peoples to the violation of treaties. View our short video to learn more.