«Peace Activism in the 20th and 21st Century. History, Reality, Narratives and Images»
Spazio PalaCinema, PalaCinema Locarno
Major operations of international diplomacy are also mediatic mise-en-scènes that accompany and control the development of negotiations and debates, define the strategic reception of major issues of geopolitical importance and their echo among individual nations and communities. As a hub of audiovisual culture, PalaCinema Locarno pays particular attention to the role of these staged media images.
The audivisual intallation presents ten video stations with footage from archives of audiovisual heritage: their critical gaze opens up reflection on the construction of audiovisual narratives in support of strategies of public communication of peace processes, from open information to manipulation and propaganda, to consolidate or counter narratives; to legitimise or delegitimise organs and expressions of civic engagement or activism. What narrative is suggested by the media and with what intent? What is the role of narrative and image in democratic society?
In addition to a two days conference and an installation, the project includes a collaboration integrating the participatory project by Swiss artist Yves Mettler, which will be present in the public space from the week before the conference and opening of the installation. During the conference, a kiosk and a seating area for workshops will integrate the function of a platform for democratic discourse. These aggregative elements will extend the exhibition's discourse to a spatial concept and will in part return to dialogue with the public space.
Yves Mettler's platform interrogates public space as the media of the democratic process. Nourished by a direct relationship with the public and aided by the DFA students who will take part in the project, the platform will become an important agent of dialogue and sharing on the fringes of the congress and the installation. While remaining independent, the two projects relate as a platform for democratic debate to activate inclusive access of different audiences to the exhibition content.
The congress moments are a constitutive part of the interdisciplinary symposium that extends the contents of the exhibition to the contemporary discussion on the contributions that forms of government and media bring to peacekeeping and war. The congress integrates mediation activities and workshops reflecting on how peacebuilding research results can be passed on to future generations.
The audivisual intallation presents ten video stations with footage from archives of audiovisual heritage: their critical gaze opens up reflection on the construction of audiovisual narratives in support of strategies of public communication of peace processes, from open information to manipulation and propaganda, to consolidate or counter narratives; to legitimise or delegitimise organs and expressions of civic engagement or activism. What narrative is suggested by the media and with what intent? What is the role of narrative and image in democratic society?
In addition to a two days conference and an installation, the project includes a collaboration integrating the participatory project by Swiss artist Yves Mettler, which will be present in the public space from the week before the conference and opening of the installation. During the conference, a kiosk and a seating area for workshops will integrate the function of a platform for democratic discourse. These aggregative elements will extend the exhibition's discourse to a spatial concept and will in part return to dialogue with the public space.
Yves Mettler's platform interrogates public space as the media of the democratic process. Nourished by a direct relationship with the public and aided by the DFA students who will take part in the project, the platform will become an important agent of dialogue and sharing on the fringes of the congress and the installation. While remaining independent, the two projects relate as a platform for democratic debate to activate inclusive access of different audiences to the exhibition content.
The congress moments are a constitutive part of the interdisciplinary symposium that extends the contents of the exhibition to the contemporary discussion on the contributions that forms of government and media bring to peacekeeping and war. The congress integrates mediation activities and workshops reflecting on how peacebuilding research results can be passed on to future generations.