And the gold goes to Barnbrook
The Beijing Olympics are in full swing, and as the fever of national pride and the glory of breaking records sweeps through the world, Jonathan Barnbrook is asking designers to raise awareness about Tibet. Barnbrook, a well-known British graphic designer and typographer, has created a site called Remember Tibet with designer Pedro Inoue. The site encourages people to remember Tibet’s struggle for independence while the entire world has their eyes on the undemocratic government of China. The Olympics have brought to light many of China’s pollution problems as well as their not-so-stellar human rights record. But, instead of improving their human rights conditions as a result of being awarded the Olympics, China has actually made basic freedoms less available in its goal to create ‘stability’ and ‘harmony’ before the games.
The site was created in an effort to support the independence of Tibet through peaceful, non-violent resistance. Artists and designers are asked to contribute visual projects that raise awareness, but the site isn’t simply for people who want to express their discontent with the issue. Barnbrook says, “I don’t really want people to get hung up on the idea that this can change anything in isolation, it can’t. These works are just one tool of many which people will use to keep Tibet as a central issue in mainstream politics, as that is the only way things will change.” The creative arts have always played a role in forcing issues into the mainstream political agenda, and designers play an especially important role because we know how to put the pieces together in an effective way. It’s our job to bring visuals into the world that catch people’s eye. Why not use our skills to turn the focus towards Tibet. Thanks to the Olympics, half our job is done- the whole world is already looking that way.