Visual Fragments and the Politics of Place: Feminist Advocacy in Czech Public Culture

Abstract

This article analyzes how Forum 50%'s visual “argumentative fragments” respond to and make visible the gendered norms of Czech political culture and advocate for women's increased levels of participation, representation, and legitimacy. Forum 50%'s visual rhetoric provides a compelling case to assess the argumentative resources of image events, the politics of place, and the role of humor for feminist work in the public sphere and on the public screen. Through an examination of Forum 50%'s visual strategies, this article demonstrates the importance of orchestrating a visible public image that commands political agency and dismantles gendered stereotypes while taking advantage of the rhetorical resources within a specific cultural context and place. Forum 50%'s campaign expands our understanding of gender and social protest, demonstrates the extent to which women can work toward political equality in a post-Communist environment, and explores the potential for visual argument to spark social change.