Throughout history art has been used to influence beliefs and behaviour of the public. From war posters calling the public to fight to memes swaying our feelings toward political leaders, art has
such a strong grip on how we operate in life. This critical report will examine propaganda and how its developed through the 21st century. Until the end of the 19th century, the word “propaganda” had a neutral meaning; its Latin origin meaning “the propagation of a particular doctrine or practise”. A committee of cardinals in charge of foreign missions (to spread Christianity) of the Catholic church in 1622, the translation of the phrase used by the cardinals “Congregatio de Propaganda Fide” meaning “congregation for propagating the faith.” (Sala, 2020). Nowadays propaganda holds a more political and negative connotation. Throughout this essay I will be referencing Jonas Staal’s Propaganda in the 21st century, amongst other theorists, such as Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman. In my first chapter I will discuss the mechanics of propaganda and give historical examples of it and proceed to discuss how the internet has influenced the way propaganda works in conjunction with art in my second and third chapters. The notion of fake news and disinformation will also be considered in my later chapters and how these concepts impact the ways we interact with information. I will touch on Judith Butler’s analysis of performance in popular mass movements demonstrations in order to explain propaganda’s place in art today.
*Part of the 2021-2022 Fine Art cohort
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