Political Aesthetics as a Lens for Understanding Far-Right Environmentalism
摘要
This introductory chapter outlines a framework for analysing far-right environmentalism through a lens of political aesthetics, examining how far-right actors use artistic and cultural forms to promote their political agendas. It explores how these actors exploit ecological crises by employing visual strategies and culturally resonant symbols to construct dichotomous ‘us versus them’ understandings of critical social and environmental issues. The chapter introduces Walter Benjamin’s critique of the ‘aestheticisation of politics’ and Jacques Rancière’s concept of the ‘distribution of the sensible’ as a lens for analysing how far-right groups normalise their ideologies and mobilise support from susceptible online audiences. The methodological approach employed builds on previous research, including visual semiotics, discourse analysis, and narrative analysis, to decode ideological messages and the interplay of textual, visual, and symbolic elements, with a focus on case studies of the activities of European and transnational white supremacist groups on both mainstream and alternative platforms.