Guest contributor and European correspondent Lara Chapman visits the ‘Hope to Nope: Graphics and Politics 2008-18’ exhibition at the Design Museum London.
A visual cacophony of objects including memes, posters, videos, balloons and even a fortune-telling machine come together in a narrative of power and protest at this exhibition. The eclectic collection of pieces traces the turbulent political climate of the past decade and the graphic milestones that have shaped, defined and resisted events in this period. The exhibition also charts recent technological developments and their effect on the production and dissemination of media. Graphic design is presented as a tool that can be harnessed by both the most powerful corporations and the most marginalised groups of society.
The title of the exhibition references the iconic ‘Hope’ poster designed by Shepard Fairey for Obama’s 2008 election campaign and various appropriations of this, including the viral ‘Nope’ memes of Trump. Between these two moments of American politics, the world has been shaken by a series of charged situations including the Occupy Movement, The Arab Spring, refugee crisis’, LGBT rights, and climate change, which are all represented in the show.
Given the location of the museum, it is no surprise that Brexit and the dynamic and varied graphics associated with it feature prominently. ‘Britain Stronger in Europe’, the official Remain campaign identity, was a pertinent example of professional branding that fell short of delivering its message. The design cleverly highlights the word ‘in’ in Britain and references the UK flag in the typography, but was criticised for its lack of emotional impact. Meanwhile the ‘Fragile UK Flag’ by Sarah Boris conveys a much more compelling statement about the need to remain in the EU. The rough-and-ready flag is made from navy fabric with FRAGILE tape stuck across it, creating the union jack. Despite its crudeness, the message is clear: Britain will be weak on its own.
Conversely, the 200,000 ‘Brexit Beer Mats’ that were distributed across 900 Wetherspoons pubs aimed to convince customers to vote leave with slogans such as “stop messing about” in bold lettering. The lack of graphic finesse does not detract from the effectiveness of the coasters as conversations-starters in the relaxed pub context.
In addition to political campaigns, governments use graphics as educational tools. One such example in the exhibition is the Australian Government’s ‘Graphic Novel for Potential Illegal Immigrants’. Released in 2013, it was distributed to Afghan refugees. The small booklet contains illustrations designed to instill fear and discourage refugees from seeking asylum in Australia. It shows immigrants suffering from depression and illnesses in detention centres and the possibility of boats being turned away. The “educational” booklet is a form of political propaganda that is shocking proof of the mistreatment of refugees and a disregard for their right to seek asylum from war, torture and terror.
Counter to the Australian Government’s policy of exclusion, citizens are increasingly organising protests and using creative DIY placards, flags and social media to advocate for change in the treatment of refugees. This activism aligns with the recent surge in protests globally, reflecting a global discontent with authoritative bodies. This phenomena is explored through videos and hashtags from different protests alongside physical ephemera. Placards from the Women’s March, 2017, convey messages of strength and anger such as “this pussy grabs back”. While the ‘Gay Clown Putin’ artwork that has circulated both online and offline since 2013 uses mocking to oppose the anti-gay ‘propaganda’ laws.
The ‘Peace Factory memes movement’ harnesses social media to generate solidarity. Israeli designer Ronny Edry started the project in 2012 when the threat of war was looming between Israel and Iran. Edry posted a photograph of himself and his daughter on facebook with an overset colourful banner that read: ‘Iranians, we will never bomb your country. We ♥ you’ which went viral. He made the banner open-source and messages of peace and love quickly spread from both countries. The campaign opposed the attempts of the government to dehumanise the “enemy”, signaling the first step towards war.
The exhibition does not shy away from controversial topics. The ISIS flag is shown (if only in a photograph) as evidence of the power of graphic design to build identity and create uniting symbols. While ‘The Complete Lexicon of Crisis Related Suicides Vol.1 2008 – 2013’ by Richard Sluij, highlights the inhumanity of dealing with financial crisis. The chunky book embodies the gravity of its subject matter which documents the victims who took their lives as a result of the economic crisis in 2008.
Using wit and humour to subvert political and corporate agendas was a recurring theme throughout the exhibition. Greenpeace’s ‘Don’t let Coke Choke Our Oceans’ is a multi-platform campaign that mimics coca-cola’s advertising and branding to pressure the company into committing to sustainable practices. Postcards of beach scenes that read ‘wish you weren’t here’ and guerilla labelling of bottles that replace ‘coke’ with ‘choke’ in the curvy font and red-and-white colour scheme are notable elements of the campaign.
The exhibition is broad in its definition of graphic design and challenges the notions of who can be a graphic designer. In a world where it is easy to feel powerless and disenfranchised, the exhibition encourages a sense of agency, nudging us to action. It urges us to pursue hope and, when necessary, unite in the resistive power of saying nope.
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