Human Rights or Lack Thereof: New Entries for Protest Posters 2

What’s something that always needs addressing? Human rights (or the lack thereof), which is the overarching theme for this week’s Protest Posters 2 entries.

Our first submission, “Human Rights” by designer Tomaso Marcolla (above, left), addresses the lack of human rights around the world head-on. It was created for the invitational poster project Poster for Tomorrow, which was possible with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and La Mairie de Paris; the contest celebrated the 70^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The central image is a fish wrapped in a sheet of paper, on which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is printed. Obviously, that’s not how it’s meant to be used; it’s meant to enforce human rights. With it being depicted as something that can be thrown away Marcolla shows how there’s still no full respect for the rights of all.

This sentiment is further reflected in “Parrhesiastes” by Pep Carrió (above, right). The poster was designed for the Parrhesiastes exhibition: the word refers to the cutting edge of truth and also means “to speak freely” in ancient Greek. The exhibition was organized by the Aluna Art Foundation (Miami) in April 2015 and called on various international graphic artists to create about freedom of expression. In this particular poster, Carrió brought together “two divergent elements to create a visual metaphor.” In this case, Carrió said that this poster brings together an AK-42 and a microphone to display the danger of poisoned political speech. As a result, this poster created a space of debate and consideration on political issues affecting society today.

The last two posters take a look at human rights concerning misogyny and women’s rights. “Take The Red Pill” by Lisa Winstanley (above, left), delves into the world of misogyny online. The poster refers to an online community hosted on Reddit where men go to circulate toxic perspectives of women and where anonymity, male privilege, and rape culture dominate. Taking either “the red pill” or “the blue pill” refers to a choice between the willingness to learn a life-changing truth, by taking the red pill, or remaining in ignorant bliss with the blue pill. This poster examines how taking the red pill in this context perpetuates hate and discrimination. Featuring original photography by Winstanley, it was digitally edited and complemented by experimental typography.

“Your Vote: One Hundred Years in the Making” by Stephanie Grey (above, right) was made for the AIGA Get Out The Vote: The Women’s Vote campaign. Celebrating the centennial of the ratification of the 19^th Amendment that granted women the right to vote, the campaign’s assignment was to create a poster that expressed this idea and honored the tradition of women’s voting rights. Grey said that she would like her viewers to understand that a foundation has been created for women’s voting rights, but it’s “your vote” that’s needed in 2020; she believes that these rights should not be taken for granted.

To view more submissions, or to submit work yourself, visit graphis.com.