Visual Democracy — Complex Images for Complex Matters
Direct democracy in Switzerland places heavy demands on the decision-making ability of Swiss citizens, and expects from them a high degree of knowledge during popular votes. In essence, the direct democratic system requires discourse, diverse impulses and a wide dissemination of information – objectives that should also be incorporated into the realm of visual political communication. In contrast, a highly economized media landscape demands that graphic designers produce simple, clear and attention-grabbing visualizations. Given this, simplistic populist image rhetoric is gaining popularity, while visual impulses that encourage constructive discourse grow increasingly rare.
In the form of an image installation, this speculative project is a plea for change in the aesthetics of visual political communication. It is a call for more complex and multi-dimensional images; for progressive and positive pictures; and for inspiring, artistic positions that draw on a wider set of aesthetic ideals than those often advocated in the field of commercial advertising.
