From Winnie the Pooh to the pill-popping scene of the Matrix, seemingly friendly icons and well-known film moments lead completely separate lives on the Internet. Cartoons are appropriated by the far right to get around filters and to communicate conspiracy theories, but are also used by political activists in restrictive regimes to avoid censorship. What is the role of symbols on the Internet and which secret codes are hidden in the appropriated elements of pop culture, such as in memes and in the use of emoji? How do online subcultures use these codes? How can democratic forces use similar tactics to mobilise against repression and dictatorship?

With artist Hans Bernhard of UBERMORGEN, emoji-expert Lilian Stolk, media researcher Aymeric Mansoux and Nadine Roestenburg (moderator)

Join us beforehand at 15:00 for Connecting Realities with VR & AR! Get a Virtual Agoras day pass and attend both events for €12 (€10 with discount)

These events are part of the IMPAKT series Contested Environments, a series of events looking into new media platforms as uncharted terrains of political debate and opinion making.