Paper short abstract:

The independence movement of Catalonia is very concerned with producing a positive international image. It has been presented as a "smiling revolution", peaceful and democratic, not exclusively nationalist. This presentation will look at this movement through some of its images and performances.

Paper long abstract:

Since 2011, the independence movement has grown exponentially in Catalonia. A civil society association called Assamblea Nacional de Catalunya (ANC) emerged then as the organiser of massive demonstrations of the national day of Catalonia (11 of September) calling for independence. Since that year, the demonstrations of September 11 took different forms and shapes, from lines crossing the country to arrows, with a strong emphasis on the visual image produced, aiming for a big international repercussion. The objective of the movement is to have a positive international image, as a peaceful and democratic movement aiming for a " smiling revolution". In fact some of the adherents to movement claim not to be nationalist, but that they want a "new state", a Republic to overcome the Spanish Monarchy. On the other hand, some of its critics argue that the independence movement is deeply nationalist and even supremacist, proposing the superiority of ethnic Catalans over ethnic Spaniards in Catalonia. To address these conflicting views, in this presentation I will look at the production of images and performances by the independence movement, its aesthetics and ethics.