Culture of Humiliation (2017)

The project “Culture of Humiliation” consisted of two fundamental pillars: online campaigns and an exhibition accompanied by interactive workshops. The primary goal of the project was to increase awareness of the causes and consequences of peer violence, including bullying and cyberbullying, experienced by young individuals due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

The first part of the project (the “offline” component) took place in high schools and youth centers and consisted of two activities: a graphic arts exhibition (poster art) and interactive workshops.

The artistic works displayed in the exhibition were created by young artists who used posters as a tool to convey and depict their own experiences of violence and discrimination based on their sexual orientation to a wider audience. Art is a universal means of communication that we experience emotionally and intimately, making it an excellent tool for promoting social change in the broader public and empowering individuals facing various forms of discrimination and harassment. Each exhibition opening was accompanied by a personal testimonial from an individual who had experienced peer violence based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The interactive workshops were aimed at all young people, both victims of violence and bystanders who can play a crucial role in preventing violence. These workshops sought to raise awareness among all young individuals about the negative consequences of peer violence and thus also had a deterrent effect on young people who engage in bullying, belittling, and violence against their peers.

By focusing not only on the victims of bullying and aggressors but also on bystanders, the project highlighted violence and discriminatory practices as issues that extend beyond just the victim-perpetrator relationship and are rooted in a broader social context.

The second dimension of the project, the online campaign, used very similar content to the exhibitions and workshops but had a much wider reach as social media were used as a tool for disseminating information. The essence of the online campaign was to raise awareness about the consequences and problems caused by bullying on one hand and to create a safe virtual space for the exchange and sharing of personal stories and experiences of discrimination, harassment, online bullying, and overcoming them through personal empowerment for the victims on the other hand.

As part of the project, the Pride Parade Association collaborated with two global campaigns: the #itgetsbetter campaign from the USA and the “No soy tu chiste” campaign by Daniel Arzola from Venezuela/Chile. Daniel Arzola’s works are also part of the “Culture of Humiliation” exhibition.

The foundation of the exhibition was based on the works of Antonio Karadzoski (Macedonia), who found inspiration in Arzola’s work and created his own series of posters. Karadzoski guided us through the exhibition through his personal experience, which you can read more about here.