Why it matters:
According to the organizers, the competition confronts algorithmic censorship, media blackouts, and digital repression imposed by Western platforms, highlighting a widening gap between Western claims of free speech and the reality of controlled online discourse.
The big picture:
The contest frames modern conflict as a hybrid war, where media, narratives, and algorithms play a more decisive role than conventional weapons.
Artists are using visual language to bypass censorship and expose the selective silencing of resistance voices, particularly on Western-owned platforms.
Key points:
- The competition criticizes digital censorship and media dominance exercised by Western governments and corporations.
- It highlights themes such as the online assassination of resistance commanders and genocide.
- Works challenge the Western monopoly over global narratives.
Details:
- The competition includes cartoon and poster sections.
- Nearly 300 cartoon works are on display.
- Artists from 61 countries have participated.
- The exhibition targets censorship on platforms such as Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and WhatsApp.
Go deeper:
War, Resistance and Hope Highlighted at Shiraz Narrative of Peace Exhibition
Zohre Khazaee - seyed mohammad kazemi