What makes Politics today? An election? And what makes an election? A cross on a ballot? A vote to be counted? To be counted as being … Political? Being politically? The choice of a t-shirt, a poster on every street pole, declaring injust one statement, the vision a party proclaims?

As South Africans return to the polls on 29 May this year, much attention willbe given to the act of voting as the responsible way to practice democracy,to engage politically as an individual citizen, to make one’s mark as partof a political community – defined also nationally. While the numbers whovote will take centre stage, there is so much more that goes into this formalcontestation led by political parties and their leaders. And so much more tobe thought about through this practice and process today.

T-shirts and posters occupy a significant place in struggle history in SouthAfrica and elsewhere. They are archives of experiences of people andmovements that speak to the making and re-making of political traditionsand what is imagined as ‘The Political’. They often make visible what wordscould not (and cannot) make heard or felt, their affect producing community.They also declare the existence of struggles and present the demandsof movements to others, those outside of them. Often, they represent theoutcomes of contestations inside of movements, settled in the interests ofmore outward-facing representations, aimed at winning demands, growingsupport and solidarity, making visible and audible those not seen and not heard. They sometimes refused (and refuse) singular representations,opening political moments to multiple readings in and through and over time.While known to serve the purpose of propaganda, might they sometimes beread, yet, as art or aesthetics as affect, political affect to be – both as manyand one – and for us and for them – at the same time – and – for times yet, tocome and to be?

We sit with much uncertainty today about politics and possibilities for change in the future in spite of the many party political visions we have to choose from. What many of us need and want is not captured in these. Many are choosing not to vote. So, SWOP, together with edition~verso and WitsSchool of Arts will be hosting a poster and t-shirt making session as a space to allow for a different form of relating to and engaging with politics in the context of the current call to vote. We invite you to join us on 18 May at … to become part of a conversation and process of production that re-turns us to play in the present, to make, to create, and to be outside of any mandate that demands Singularity. For what’s not, yet, politics nor art, not propaganda, not performance … not, yet … to be. Please bring t-shirts, posters, and any other items from your archives with you. If you have none, please come with your thoughts and ideas to share. RSVP is essential to secure one of the limited seats available. Participation has to be contained to allow for proper learning of skills and the actual making of the posters and T-shirts (alongside the conversation).