Lech Sean Szporer is a trans-regional multidisciplinary conceptual artist, film producer, and community organizer focused on the interplay between art, social change, public scholarship, and community history.
Selected Press
Art Rabbit - “Burial for the Rebellion: Studies in Post-Criminality”
The New Yorker - “Confronting America’s Shameful Mass Incarceration With Performance Art” by Antwaun Sargent, 2015.
Vice - “An Artist Caged Himself In New York To Fight For Prison Reform” by Julia Lourie, 2015.
Artnet - “Artist Gets Arrested After Locking Himself in a Cage to Protest Mass Incarceration” by Brian Boucher, 2015.
Gothomist - “Artist Locks Himself In Cage In Front Of Manhattan Jail To Protest Prison System” photos by Lou Weinstein.
Voice Project - “Anatomy of an Effective Art Action: Lech Szporer’s Cage Project” 2015.
Calcalist - “Stopped The City” 2015.
The Marshall Project - “Lech Szporer”, 2015.
A Blade Of Grass - “Why Make Gardens With People In solitary Confinement”, 2016.
States of Incarceration - “Incarceration Present and Past: 2015 and 1829”, 2016.
States Of Incarceration - “Incarceration Present and Past” by Julia Bowling.
TVP - Occupy Wall Street Requests Support from Lech Walesa, 2011.
Signal V Noise - “Give Kids Your Instruments”.
Action Direction - “Lost In The Art Church”, 2008.
AM New York - “New Yorkers Take The Hard Way” the Walk Out, AMNY.
Hyperallergic - “Maximum Perception” .
Mutual Art - “Maximum Perception”, English Kills Art, 2008.
Selected Exhibitions
2024 - Survivors - solo exhibit, private viewing, Madrid, Spain.
2021 - Identity Crisis of the Post-Colonial solo exhibit, private viewing, Madrid, Spain.
2015 - Burial for the Rebellion - solo exhibit, Y Gallery, NY, USA.
2007 - Empire, NYReps Gallery, Miami Basel, Florida, USA.
2007 - Maximum Perception - English Kills Gallery, NY, USA.
2005 - The Death of Romance - The. New York Film and Video Festival.
Education
Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) - 2022
The New School for Public Engagement - Arts and Education 2011-2013.
The School of Visual Arts - Studio Arts 2003-2005.
Pratt Insistute - Creative Writing, 2000-2001.
Berklee College of Music - Music Composition, 1999.
Languages - English (fluent), French (decent), Spanish (beginner), Wolof and Luganda (beginner).
Filmography
Kids In Crisis - 2022-2024, in Production.
The Maelstrom/Mame’s Prayer - 2018-2023, in Post-Production.
The Interventionists - 2017-2023, in Post-Production.
Voina Means War - 2017, in Post-Production.
Gambiana - 2020-2024, in Production.
We Are The World - in development.
Catastrophe Tour - in development.
Congratulations, You Are A Winner - in development.
Selected Publications
Survivors - art catalogue: art therapy for people emerging from conflict (Haiti, The Gambia, Uganda, India) - in production 2024.
Identity Crisis of the Post-Colonial - art catalogue: Selected Socio-Aesthetic Interventions (2009-2023) - in production 2024.
Cigarettes Cut With Fish - art catalogue: Selected Drawings - in production 2024.
Blame The Poet, Not The Politician - Blame The Poet, Issue #1 - in production 2024.
Pedagogical Interventions - Selected Essays on Education - manuscript 2016.
Staging Dilemmas: Tactical Aesthetics - Selected Essays on Art - manuscript, 2010-2015.
Girly Horse Hoof - Selected Plays - manuscript, 2010.
I Smoke American - Selected Poems - manuscript, 2010.
I Like The Idea Of Eating Flowers - Selected Poems - manuscript, 2006.
Collections
Gallery Style - determines whether slideshow images fill all available space or fit to the window with no cropping.
Gallery Padding - set the amount of space along the top right and bottom side of the slideshow display.
Enable Gallery Thumbnails - displays a 'Show Thumbnails' option in gallery navigation.
Initial Gallery View - sets the initial view of the gallery to slideshow or thumbnails.
Gallery Controls - choose from three styles of slideshow controls or hide them completely.
Gallery Control Text - control the font typeface, style, line-height, transform and letter spacing properties of the gallery controls font.
Gallery Controls Size - set the size of the font used for gallery controls.
Gallery Controls Color - choose the color used for gallery control links.
Gallery Controls (Active) - choose the color used for the active slide control.
Awards & Recognition
Product Background Color - sets the color behind the product image.
Product Overlay Color - sets the color of the overlay when product list titles are set to 'overlay.'
Products Per Row - determines the number of products shown per line on the product list.
Product List Titles - controls the position of the product title on the product list.
Product List Alignment - sets the text alignment of the product title on the product list.
Product Item Size - select an image ratio for the product photo on the product list.
Product Image Auto Crop - determines whether product images fill the image area or fit within.
Product Gallery Size - select an image ratio for the product gallery on the product item page.
Product Gallery Auto Crop - determines whether product images fill the gallery area or fit within.
Show Product Price - shows the price on the product list page when enabled.
Show Product Item Nav - shows the 'back to shop' link on the product item page.
Event Styles
Event Time Format - toggle between 24 hour or AM/PM for event times.
Event Icons - enable icons on the address and event time display.
Event Thumbnails - show an image thumbnail in list view.
Event Thumbnail Size - controls the size (ratio width:height) of the event thumbnail image.
Event Date Label - enable date overlay on top of event thumbnail.
Event Date Label Time - include the time of the event with the date overlay.
Event Excerpts - show optional excerpt text of events on the list view when present.
Event List Date - show the full event date (day, month, year) of the event on the list view.
Event List Time - show the time range (start time-end time) of the event on the list view.
Event List Address - show the event location address when present.
Event iCal/gCal Links - show links to add events to Apple or Google calendars.
Event Like and Share Buttons - show Squarespace simple like and share buttons on events.
Event List Compact View - enable a simple stacked view of events in the list view.
Event Calendar Compact View - enable a simpler calendar view optimized for smaller areas.
Social Link Options
Hide Social Links - turn off template specific (non-social link block) social icon links.