Since the 16th century, artists have commented on political actions in their own visual language. Until today, graphic comments serve historians as important references of past times. However, the further creation and perception of a political artwork are apart from each other, the harder it gets to translate the old master's visual codes.
During our workshop we plan to decode political cartoons from the years 1913 until 1914. With the professional support of a historian, we will create an overview of the European crisis at the beginning of the First World War. Aside from historical cartoons, we will look into contemporary forms of visual commenting and expression of opinions. We will take a look at a wide range of material, from viral YouTube videos to political online memes.
Finally we will translate cartoons of the First World War into the visual language of a contemporary young internet audience. You will learn a lot about the outbreak of the First World War while you try and enjoy visual commenting. Along the way, our reinterpretation will make historical cartoons accessible to a young audience.
The workshop will be a creative laboratory. It will be accompanied by Janina Rook, reporter of the French-German TV-magazine ARTE-Yourope, by the media artist group Just.Do.It., the historian and journalist Martin Bayer (Externer Link: wartist.org) and the team of Putsch-Berlin.de.
Background knowledge of internet and graphic software is welcome but not a prerequisite for the participation in the workshop.
Workshop speakers:
Thilo Kasper & Team, PUTSCH Berlin, Externer Link: www.putsch-berlin.de
Janina Rook, reporter ARTE-Yourope, Berlin
Martin Bayer, historian and journalist, Berlin
Ole Fach & Kim Asendorf, Just.Do.It, media artists, Berlin
