The symposium will be held virtually, in partnership with the exhibition ‘Panels that Transform’ hosted by Macquarie University Art Gallery.

hosted by the Centre for Media History,

Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

2 November 2021 via Zoom

Convenors: Can Yalcinkaya and Justine Lloyd

Supported by Faculty of Arts, Macquarie University &

Macquarie University Art Gallery

The symposium will be held virtually, in partnership with the exhibition ‘Panels that Transform’ hosted by Macquarie University Art Gallery. See below for information about this exhibition.

Queries about the symposium can be directed to Justine Lloyd: Justine.Lloyd@mq.edu.au

Panel One: ‘Media Arts and Activism': Visualising Moments and Movements

“The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible” said Toni Cade Bambara. As conservative and neoliberal governments across the globe continue to undermine principles of social equality, exercise violent/nationalistic border policies, hinder climate justice in the name of financial and political power, how do graphic and media artists utilise the power of their visual communication skills to bring about social change for the common good, e.g. stopping mass extinction, adopting clean, sustainable energy options, promoting a more just distribution of wealth?

This panel will profile the recent research on the role of media and visual arts in activist movements.

The panel will be preceded by Dr Safdar Ahmed’s keynote: “The Problem of Witnessing: Graphic Journalism as Social Engagement".

Register here

Panel Two: 'Media, Arts & Activism': What Can the Old Left Offer Today's Creatives?

Have you ever shared a meme with a political message? If so, you’ve put yourself in the well-travelled intersection of visual culture and communications. It’s an eye-catching tradition the political left has been experimenting with since the very beginnings of when bad stuff happened and people joined together do something about it.

For over 200 years, Australian progressives have led the way with new adaptations in political communication, with artists as key figures in aesthetic innovation and avant-garde cultural movements.

This panel is intended to offer something to artists and activists who are curious about radical art objects and learning about the successful creativity-infused strategies from the previous eras of progressive politics.

Join us for a visually stimulating journey through the hits of the Australian labour movement’s creativity.

This panel will be preceded by keynote speaker, Bonney Djuric, artist, historian, adjunct lecturer NIEA, UNSW and co-founder of Parragirls Female Factory Precinct Memory Project.

Register here

Information about the linked exhibition at the Macquarie University Art Gallery:

Title: Panels that Transform

Curators: Can Yalcinkaya and Justine Lloyd

Exhibition dates: TBC (Subject to NSW Public Health recommendations, check here for updates)

Exhibition Brief:

Comics and Graphic Novels with activist agendas are often creative non-fiction texts which aim to inform and educate the public on issues of social justice in engaging and entertaining ways. The exhibition “Panels that Transform” will feature old and new original works by three Australian artists/activists – Sam Wallman, Safdar Ahmed and Nicky Minus, who are internationally recognised through their graphic narratives on issues that demand our attention such as the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers, gender equality, climate justice and the trade union movement. Having been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, SBS, ABC, Overland, the Lifted Brow, as well as in limited edition zines, brochures and pamphlets, their works capture the vibrancy and vitality of activist causes and invite their readers to take part in positive societal transformation.

Read a copy of the exhibition zine here