The Ethics of Political Encounters

Abstract

In this section we discuss various ways in which the different forms of art has the potential of political critique, resistance and ethical witnessing. This panel “Ethics of Political Encounters” will enlighten these ways from different perspectives. The first paper discusses how different forms of dictatorship actually are able to create, and give rise to, various types of resistance among those that they rule over. The totalitarian dictatorship, and its evolutionary successor the post-totalitarian system, comes to power with the intent to establishing total control of both political, economic and social structures and societies. The second paper raises the question of the role of spontaneous memorials, erected in a variety of media, in symbolising and galvanising resistance to a corrupt, dysfunctional democracy? This paper investigates these questions by focusing on memorial to a prominent Maltese journalist and blogger, Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed by a car bomb on 16 October 2017. The third contribution focuses on cultural critiques of the Church, more specifically, the theatre play “Klątwa” [The Grudge] (2017) and the movie “Kler” [Clergy] (2018) directed by Wojciech Smarzowski, and the ensuing public debates on the role of religion and the institutions of the Catholic Church in Poland.