A ‘surface’ is not simply a geometric composition of lines. It is a certain distribution of the sensible
Jacques Rancière
That statement and Rancière’s further critique of Plato’s mute function of writing and painting reminded me of the use of placards in pickets and marches. Placard – a two-dimensional surface which combines both visual and textual aesthetics – is associated with an expression of political position in democratic society. Placards in single pickets (as group protests are prohibited) got viral in Kazakhstan this summer. Statements did not involve a direct opposition message, but were quotes from constitution or phrases as “you cannot run away from truth”. However, placards became politically significant in my country because each act led to a police detention. Those detentions brought up a hypothesis that a placard as a surface is considered political. The prove didn’t make wait for it: public appearance with an empty white placard immediately attracted attention of police. Therefore, placard might be a mute or whatever dimensional sign but it can carry a sensible political aesthetic.