Art and politics often come together in the fight for justice and freedom. This is especially true in Pro-Palestinian activism. Visual art helps challenge mainstream stories and build global support. One key player in this type of resistance art was OSPAAAL (Organización de Solidaridad con los Pueblos de Asia, África y América Latina). Founded in 1966 in Havana, Cuba, OSPAAAL used bold designs to support liberation movements around the world. OSPAAAL’s posters, disseminated globally, highlighted various anti-imperialist struggles, including the Palestinian liberation movement. Through its bold designs and revolutionary symbols, OSPAAAL helped shape an international visual language of solidarity.
OSPAAAL and Visual Solidarity
OSPAAAL rose to prominence during the Cold War, when anti-imperialist movements were at their peak. It aimed to connect liberation struggles across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Their posters played a big role in spreading these messages, especially for the Palestinian cause. These designs used striking images, symbols like the keffiyeh, olive trees, and maps of Palestine to highlight Palestinian identity and resistance.
A well-known 1968 poster by Faustino Pérez shows a bearded man wearing a traditional Middle Eastern headdress. His eye is designed as the tip of a rifle, representing the Palestinian people’s struggle and resistance. These posters created a sense of global solidarity by linking the Palestinian fight with movements in Vietnam, Angola, and South Africa (Gharavi, 2011).
Art historian David Craven (1999) points out that revolutionary art serves both artistic and political purposes. OSPAAAL’s posters crossed language barriers and helped share the Palestinian struggle with people worldwide.
OSPAAAL’s Legacy in Contemporary Projects
The visual and ideological concepts pioneered by OSPAAAL continue to thrive today through initiatives such as the Palestine Poster Project, which has been recognized by UNESCO for its cultural significance. This project collects and preserves thousands of posters supporting Palestinian liberation. It keeps a visual record of resistance and inspires new generations of artists. Grassroots efforts like the Free Palestine Project and Artists Against Apartheid (organized by The People’s Forum) also use art to promote solidarity and encourage political action.
These modern efforts continue OSPAAAL’s mission of anti-colonial unity. As Karam and Mutsvairo (2021) point out, decolonizing communication means challenging mainstream stories and offering new ways to resist and represent. These projects not only protect historical struggles but also create new activism that reaches people worldwide. They help keep the Palestinian cause visible in a time of digital media and misinformation (Roberts & Karekwaivanane, 2024).
Art as a Tool of Resistance
Pro-Palestinian art goes beyond OSPAAAL’s past work. Today, artists like Emily Jacir and Khaled Jarrar carry on this tradition. They use their art to explore issues of displacement, identity, and occupation. Jacir’s project, Where We Come From (2001-2003), invites Palestinian exiles to express their unfulfilled desires to return home. Through visual storytelling, Jacir humanizes the abstract political discourse surrounding the Palestinian diaspora (Boum, 2018).
Christina Sabaiduc (2019) emphasizes that Palestinian visual culture functions as an archive of resistance, memory, and identity. Street art, murals, and posters created by Palestinian and international artists act as counter-narratives to mainstream media portrayals, reclaiming agency and shaping public perception.
Impact on Mobilization
Pro-Palestinian visual culture is powerful because it connects with people worldwide by focusing on justice and freedom. OSPAAAL’s posters, for example, linked the Palestinian struggle to other anti-colonial movements. They showed how these fights were part of a shared cause. This visual solidarity encouraged grassroots activism and helped create a sense of global unity in resistance.
As John Berger (1972) explains, images can shape how we see things and create emotional reactions faster than words. In this way, Pro-Palestinian art works as both an educational tool and a starting point for political action. By visually depicting the resilience and struggle of Palestinians, these artworks challenge viewers to engage critically and take a stance.
The intersection of art and politics is exemplified in Pro-Palestinian activism. OSPAAAL’s posters stand as enduring symbols of international solidarity, using visual culture to highlight the Palestinian struggle and link it to broader anti-imperialist movements. Today, artists and projects like the Palestine Poster Project, the Free Palestine Project, and Artists Against Apartheid carry on this work. They use art to fight oppression and gather support. Through digital activism and social media, they reach global audiences, spreading awareness and inspiring action. Visual culture is powerful because it crosses borders, fuels online movements, and unites people with a shared vision of justice and freedom.
References
- Berger, J. (1972). Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin Books.
- Boum, A. (2018). Palestinian Memory: Embodied Archive of Resistance. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Craven, D. (1999). Art and Revolution in Latin America, 1910-1990. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- Gharavi, L. (2011). The Art of Resistance: Revolutionary Posters of OSPAAAL. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Karam, B., & Mutsvairo, B. (2021). Decolonizing Political Communication: Reframing Resistance in the Digital Age. New York: Routledge.
- Roberts, J., & Karekwaivanane, G. (2024). Digital Decolonization: Rethinking Media and Activism. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
- Sabaiduc, C. (2019). Visual Narratives of Palestinian Resistance. London: Intellect Books.
