Palestine Poster Project

The Palestine poster project documents the propaganda and creative dissent from 1965 to 2000 it is one of the largest libraries of its type. The role of the poster is one of the most important media types of 'dissent', over recent history, it has been the most popular form of publicising opinion and demonstrating change.

Jornada de Solidaridad, Faustino Perez, 1968.

The conflict in 1965 involved the extremist group known as Fatah, a militant group of Palestinian nationals. The poster attempts to stereotype this group with the usual wear of a Palestinian Nationalist, however clever use of replacing the eye with the barrel of a gun. The barrel is illustrated in red giving connotations of death and destruction. Day of solidarity to of Palestine is the title of the poster a UN day of remembrance for people who have died during the Palestine wars.

Visit Palestine, Franz Krausz, 1936.

Visit Palestine, Amer Shomali, 2009.

Visit Palestine, Des affiches pour Gaza, 2014.

David Tartakover's response reimagines the first poster that was initially used to generate more tourism in Palestine during the late 1930's. The poster reappropriates the landscape by adding militants, explosion clouds and the 'separation barrier'. What I would call a lighter-hearted attempt to generate a serious response by the viewer. I say 'light-hearted' due to the reappropriation of the initial poster, an area looking so positive becoming somewhere so contradictory. The poster is almost a crude representation of the conflict and the area.

Gaza Love, Kyle Goen, 2014.

A very well known symbol again reimaging a western icon. Initially titled 'love' to 'Gaza' this was made in the USA to generate a military response, it was used throughout many protests. Its iconic appearance makes it stronger as it alternates the familiar and therefore evokes a strong response.

Gaza Pinwheels, Mohammed Hassona, (Palestine), 2014.

Part of the Project Pinwheel memorial project the poster above attempts to raise awareness and remember the 521 children killed during the operation protective edge. The dark poster depicts the falling shells and the innocents of the children below that were lost in the conflict.


The 50-year difference between the first and last poster shows the prominence of the poster in Gaza, and the change it can promote. A very different selection of graphic art created to cause a change. However, with 50 years of conflict and 1,600 recorded posters does this show the little impact posters can make, the situation in Gaza is as volatile as ever and I wonder how many more posters it could take to make the constructive change needed to establish peace?

References

Visual Impact, Creative dissent in the 21st century, Liz McQuiston.

http://mondoweiss.net/2015/07/bombers-blood-posters/

https://im7mad.wordpress.com/

http://www.palestineposterproject.org/content/about-the-palestine-poster-project-archives-0

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20415675

https://www.afsc.org/resource/gaza-pinwheel-project