Activism is the partisan performance of dissent, shaped and imposed for ideological distraction. Demonstrations have become one of the primary means with which cultural groups, who lack political access, gain public status. The success of any demonstration depends upon a group’s ability to represent its struggle and reinforce its identity in the process. “Simulated Histories” examines the ways in which visual language politically promotes cultural identity, particularly the demands of overcoming an “ahistorical” identity.
October 1994 · issue 28.4