Bashar al-Assad’s propaganda
For his official portraits, the Syrian president uses the visual codes of Soviet monumentalism. Discover this in the new exhibition at the SwissInfographics Gallery in Geneva.
SwissInfographics
August 16, 2012
This exceptional exhibition will take place at the SwissInfographics Gallery. Organized with utmost urgency given the current tensions in Syria, “Bashar’s eye” shines an unexpected spotlight onto a president whose country is in a state of civil war.
The exhibition showcases a series of photos taken in 2007 by the photographer Nicolas Righetti during Bashar al-Assad’s last election campaign. Discover the portraits of this president by inheritance who was re-elected with 97.62% votes in his favor.
Yes To A Rosy Future
© Nicolas Righetti
The visual codes chosen by Bashar al-Assad for these political self-portraits are evocative of both the oriental baroque and soviet monumentalism. Often with the absence of any accompanying text, these posters displaying the president dressed in his Western style suit or military uniform were omnipresent in the streets of Syria during the campaign. Nicolas Righetti photographed them in their natural environment of shop windows and over huge plastic tarps.
These photos by Nicolas Righetti will be on display at the SwissInfographics Gallery from August 22 to September 4, 2012, along with infographics on the history of Bashar al-Assad’s rise to power and the conflict in Syria.
Turmoil in Syria
© SwissInfographics
Bashar al-Assad's clan
© SwissInfographics
Deaths in Syria's civil war
© SwissInfographics
Accustomed to dictators, Nicolas Righetti also created a book about North Korea (“The Last Paradise”, Umbrage Books, 2003) and another one on the cult of personality of Turkmenistan’s president Niyazov (“Love Me Turkmenistan”, Trolley Books, 2008). His work won the first prize of the portrait category at the World Press Photo Award in 2007.
The photos shot in Syria were assembled into a book called “Yes To A Rosy Future”.
Bashar’s eye
Photographs by Nicolas Righetti
Open from August 22 to September 4, 2012
Monday to Friday,
10:00 am-12:00 am, 14:00 pm-18:00 pm
SwissInfographics Gallery
Rue de l’Ancien-Port 13
1201 Geneva
Switzerland
The opening event will take place on August 21, at 6:00 pm. See also: Bashar’s eye, opening event
The exhibition in the evening news of Switzerland’s national TV