Ceci n’est pas une Menace
Ceci n’est pas une Menace (This is not a Threat) is resistance and refusal in the face of the absurd. The phrase, a reference to René Magritte’s “The Treachery of Images,” calls attention to the gap between image and reality, between representation and the thing itself. Ceci n’est pas une Menace becomes a layered provocation. On the surface, it offers a disclaimer, a tongue-in-cheek attempt to dodge accusation. But just beneath, it reveals an uncomfortable truth: in today's political climate, even symbolic gestures are treated as dangerous. So I lean into that tension. The phrase becomes a reminder that imagery, protest, and metaphor are not the same as violence, even if those in power would like to pretend otherwise. In the same breath, it robs the depicted of his perceived power and says this mere man is not a threat.Through this work, I acknowledge a contradiction without attempting to resolve it. I’m asking: Who decides what constitutes a threat? Why are symbols policed more aggressively than the systems they critique? How can an image inspire fear without laying a finger? This project is about permitting people to be loud, messy, and to be dissatisfied together.This first edition of Ceci n’est pas une Menace was created using biodegradable projectiles designed by the Buga Up Movement. A high-resolution version of Ceci n’est pas une Menace, without the splatter, is available at cevins.art for anyone ready to print, post, and mobilize. There are also step-by-step instructions for making your own Buga Up Projectiles, because symbolism is nice, but trajectory matters. This work isn’t meant to be admired—it’s meant to be replicated, remixed, and radicalized. Make it loud. Make it public. Make it impossible to ignore.
