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Rhymney Valley Express Tracey Moberly Tracey's take on capitalism Thursday May 11 2006

SHE'S taken on domestic violence, child welfare, and now Tracey Moberly is putting the magnifying glass on capitalism. The contemporary British artist from Gilfach in Bargoed has spent most of the year in pursuit of a group of freedom fighters aiming to bring about a "peaceful rebellion." Tracey, aged 38, a mother-of -two and stepmother-of-two, has just returned from showing a controversial exhibition against Coca Cola in some of the countries who know capitalism as well as she knows ground-breaking art. Audiences in Venezuela and Mexico have been stunned by the Coca Cola Nazi Advert exhibition, where Tracey's work appeared with some by more than 500 artists. She said: "It looks at bad practice of the company throughout time." Tracey worked with comedian and activist mark Thomas on the project, creating images based on the company's alleged collaboration with the Nazis to the alleged deaths at their bottling plants in Colombia. Coca Cola has rejected any suggestion it sympathised with the Nazi regime. But startling symbols featured in the show include nazi swastikas linked with the traditional Coca Cola swirl logo. Tracey added: "The exhibition was received really well." The daring images were exhibited in Museo de Arte Arte Contemporaneo de Caracas Sofia Imber in Venezuela, commonly regarded as the equivalent to the Tate in Britain. And it is now in the permanent collection at the Mayor's Presidential Palace. On her mission, Tracey also met with Colombian trade unionists and took the exhibition to the country hers itself, where it toured 13 different venues. She also managed to get caught up in a political march where she met and interviewed some of the most powerful symbols in the fight against capitalism. "I met some amazing people in Venezuela," she said. We found Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela with Che Guevara's daughter, Aleida Guevara march, and ~Cindy Sheehan, the woman who camped outside Bush's Texas ranch after her son was killed in the Iraq war." Next stop for the now London-based artist was Mexico, where on Friday the exhibition based on the soft drinks giant opened in its third venue. The journey ended in a cross-Mexico drive to find the Zapatistas, a group of anti-capitalist activists led by Subcomandante Marcos. Marcos, who is also a famed contemporary writer, and the group are touring Mexico at the same time the presidential candidates of the three main political parties make their rounds for this July's elections. Tracey found their campaign fascinating: "Perhaps the fact that they are calling for the campaign to be a peaceful civil movement has led some to the conclusion the Zapatistas are less militant," she said of the group, who had to be given high security by guards with long knives. "I would argue otherwise." She added: "Their 'Other Campaign' as it is called, is explicitly anti-capitalist. It's three goals are to create another way of doing politics, to build a national programme of rebellion, and to create a new constitution." Tracey is now in talks with Channel Four to go back and follow the Zapatistas across Mexico. The exhibition is now touring Mexico and it will go to Russia in October, then onto Cuba, and it is planned to show it again in London next year. For more information on tracey's work go to http://www.sanderswood.com