“Conference”- Breaking the Cycle of Oppression
Dictatorships have shaped nations, destroyed lives, and have rewritten the course of history, yet behind every authoritarian regime are the voices of people who have survived, escaped, or resisted its control. This conference poster explores dictatorship through an informative lens to bring together testimonies, research, and experiences to help audiences understand how authoritarian power functions and how it can be challenged and protested. The conference will highlight the lived experiences of individuals who fled oppressive governments, including political dissidents, defectors, journalists, and activists. These first-person stories offer powerful insight into daily life under censorship, surveillance, propaganda, and militarized rule. In this "Conference" scholars and specialists can showcase how dictatorships form, what social conditions allow them to rise, and why some nations may fall into cycles of corruption and abuse.
The title of the imaginary conference poster, “Breaking the Cycle of Oppression,” is meant to connect historical examples of dictatorship to today’s political climate in the United States. It reflects concerns about how modern leadership can resemble authoritarianism, especially in discussions surrounding how president Donald Trump has been criticized for governing in ways some view as authoritarian. By linking past dictatorships with current political conversatios, the poster encourages viewers to think critically about power, leadership, and the importance of protecting freedom and speech.
Visually the design of the poster was inspired by magazine covers and Comic layouts. When creating it, I focused on making something that could stand out and understood quickly. I created it to where viewers can easily read the title and immediately recognize the faces shown on the poster like Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Putin, two notorious dictators that have made huge references in the modern political media. The goal was to make the information as accessible at a glance, using bold typography and strong imagery to draw attention while still delivering a serious message.
This poster was chosen because it is clear, eye-catching, and easy to recognize, similar to the Guerrilla Girls iconic poster “Do Women Have to Be Naked to Get into the Met. Museum?”, which uses direct visuals and text to challenge social issues. Similarly it takes inspiration from Banksy’s, “The World Is a Playground”, where simple visuals communicate strong political ideas and messages. With these works, “Breaking the Cycle of Oppression” aims to grab people's attention first and then encourage viewers to look deeper and reflect on the message while the conference part signifies a need to communicate in order to get all ideas and messages across advocating for the end of dictatorship and the cycle of oppression.
Slides
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zKdGrtVfY-5DwhbVXmDCFYqFxuz_FX99CSVkZzfWutE/edit?usp=sharing
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