Hope to Nope: Graphics and Politics 2008-18

Strange exhibition at the Design Museum looking at how graphics and online media have been used in politics and dissent in the last decade since the financial crash.

I say strange because quite a few of the exhibits were missing and were replaced by a notice saying they had been removed at the request of the artist. It had come to light that the museum had hosted an event for an arms company and the work was removed in protest at this. It felt appropriate somehow but left the show a bit thin.


The show was split into three themes, power, protest and personality and looked at how, in the social media age, anyone can make and distribute online content and memes. I loved a video of how Greenpeace had rebranded the Leave campaign’s infamous NHS bus outside the Houses of Parliament with the slogan “Truth #ComeClean”. I also liked a data graphic from Destination Pride which used the rainbow flag as a bar chart on equality in various countries.

The section on protest was fascinating including the Arab Spring, the Occupy movement and the women’s marches. It looked at how badges and posters can be shared online and distributed quickly. It also looked at the growing fashion for homemade signs and witty slogans.


 
Needless to say the final section on personality was quite Trump based. There was a “Make America Great Again” baseball cap and a note which said that from June 2015 to October 2016 his campaign spent more on caps than polling! The “All Seeing Trump” machine, like a fairground attraction booth, drew quite a crowd.
 
Closed 13 August 2018
 
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