Utopia and Visual Communication (May 68 & Vietnam War)

The demand for improvements across social, economic, cultural, and educational spheres was the driving force behind the social movements of workers and students during May 68 (1) in France. The utopian spirit of the revolt was captured in graffiti on the streets, some of which have become legendary over time: “Il est interdit d’interdire” (“It is forbidden to forbid”) and “Soyez réalistes, demandez l’impossible” (“Be realistic, demand the impossible”). The nationwide strike led to the collapse of the government and ushered in labour and educational reforms in France.

In the United States, youth unrest began even before 1968 with countercultural movements (2) and protests against the atrocities of the Vietnam War (3). From a historical-photographic perspective, images captured by photojournalists like Don McCullin (4) exposed the shattered bodies of soldiers, contributing to the U.S. government’s eventual defeat in the war.

The rise of digital networks has made it more difficult to censor photographs. In the fictional series Years & Years (5), dozens of protesters raise their phones to record and live-stream police brutality, ultimately forcing it to come to an end.