Wizualne formy kontestacji politycznej i protestu politycznego w Polsce i Czechach w drugiej dekadzie XXI wieku
Visual Forms of Political Contestation and Protest in Poland and the Czech Republic in the Second Decade of the 21st Century

Author(s): Magdalena Mikołajczyk, Łukasz Grzesiczak
Subject(s): Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Studies of Literature, Czech Literature, Philology
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: political contestation; demonstrations; visual culture; protests in Poland; protests in the Czech Republic
Summary/Abstract: Contemporary political communication uses – not much more often, but more intentionally – visual means of expression. Research into the construction of visual messages and their meanings in electoral campaigns already has its tradition. Less frequently – albeit on the occasion of the social manifestations of the two decades of the 21st century – the subject of research becomes the counter-hegemonic construction of the symbolism of protest. As it is the voice of the minority, the relevant theoretical framework for the analysis is constituted by approaches situated in the critical paradigm. Artists designing logotypes for protesters, arranging various events in the public space see their art also as critical art. The presented analysis concerns the ways of demonstrating political contestation or opposition in Poland and the Czech Republic. What is interesting from our point of view is the very use of the visual message, the use of attractive symbolism involving the media to disseminate the message. The use of a gadget (an object, a flower, an item of clothing, a monument, etc.), wall inscriptions or paintings, organised performances and more or less spontaneous demonstrations do not exhaust the forms of contestation. They are very diverse in themselves. The authors aim to show the similarities and differences between Polish and Czech visual messages.

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