Visual Politics and Power in Non- or Weak- Democratic and Autocratic Regimes: Propaganda, Resistance and Imaginaries

This panel delves into the role of visual politics as a critical tool in non-democratic and autocratic regimes, examining how propaganda, resistance, and visual imaginaries shape and contest power. Papers will explore how regimes in autocracies and non- or weak- democracies deploy visual media to assert legitimacy, reinforce ideologies, and suppress opposition, while also addressing the creative counter-strategies employed by resistance movements to disrupt these narratives. Through interdisciplinary perspectives and global case studies, the panel will uncover the dual functions of visual politics—as both an instrument of domination and a means of defiance—highlighting its significance in negotiating power and control in non-democratic contexts.