#tacticalmedia

Tactical media is a set of practices used by activists to spread counter-information to make a political statement. David Garcia and Geert Lovink, in the tactical media manifesto, define it as “do it yourself” media, meaning that content is created with simple technology and tools of communications, rather than made by professionals. Tactical media is creative, even if its authors are not artists in a “traditional sense.” Tactical media is also rebellious. According to the Critical Art Ensamble, it is made “for achieving a variety of specific noncommercial goals and pushing all kinds of political issues” (5) by subverting cultural symbols (culture jamming). Because it expresses a non-violent refusal to obey certain laws, it may be regarded as an act of civil disobedience.

Some of the activists from the yellow vests movement, a movement started in France in 2018, perform civil disobedience through tactical media to fight the carbon taxes imposed by the French president Macron. They are, for instance, the amateur artists who contribute to the website “Dessins pour la paix - Cartooning for peace.” This website, as the title hints, publishes digital art to spread peace and make a change. From the title, it is clear that art is viewed as a powerful tool to make a statement and express discontent in a non-violent way. Because art is used to criticize the French government in a peaceful way, cartoons published in this website, such as the one criticizing president Macron (picture 1) may be regarded as an act of civil disobedience.

Picture 1.

Artists contributing to the website “Dessins pour la paix - Cartooning for peace” are also using culture jamming to make a statement. Culture jamming subverts known cultural symbols to create counter-information. For instance, picture 2 is a modified version of one of the most famous French paintings in the world, Eugène Delacroix’s La Liberté guidant le peuple (Liberty Leading the People). Yellow vests “artivists” (people who do activism through art) decided to use such famous work and add their iconic symbol, the yellow vest, to claim that their fight is similar to the French Revolution’s fight for liberty, fraternity and equality. By referencing such a famous work, the creator of this tactical media allows art to speak for itself. 

Picture 2.