SATIRE & PARODY: STRATEGIES AGAINST FASCISM

This class diagnoses the conditions around authoritarian regimes and asks: What are the ways in which artists have used humor to undermine structures of power? We will look at satire and parody as effective tools for subverting and destabilizing the arrangements of fascism, state power and censorship; Humor as cultural and social sabotage. Exposing key examples in fine arts (painting, performance) and media (memes, film, cartoons) we will discuss the value of humorous gestures as accessible methods for social critique, and parody as a catalyst for levity and relief in times of oppression, thinking through the new meanings that these comical gestures produce . We will discuss the nuanced and sophisticated ways in which fascist and authoritarian ideologies infiltrate the artistic critical consciousness and institutions. Contextualized by vernacular practices that critique society and politics with a sense of humor, this class is centered around testing the definitions of obedience, compliance and proper conduct. Individually or collaboratively, participants will chose to develop a flyer, text, logo, zine, performance, or other visual material that leans into satire, parody and/or irony that offers a nuanced socio-political critique of a contemporary issue.
Mondays, 6-8 PM EST (3-5 PM PST)
​Online on Zoom
120 minute sessions, 5 weeks
February 2nd - March 2nd, 2026
$125 - $375 Tuition
Select scholarships and solidarity rate discounts available upon request.

INSTRUCTORS

Gianfranco Reyes is an interdisciplinary artist born and raised in Lima, Peru, currently living and working in New York, NY.  He received a BFA from The Cooper Union and is an MFA candidate at Columbia University. Reyes has worked for the Studio Practice program at CUSAI and as an instructor at the Cooper Union’s Saturday Program. He is a recipient of the Norman Sanders Fund, The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation Grant, the Professional Development Fund, the Innovator Merit Scholarship and the Teaching Fellowship at Columbia University. Reyes has participated in several group exhibitions including Queer Futurities at Coaxial Arts Foundation in Los Angeles, CA, La Feria at The Latinx Project in New York, NY and he was part of the cohort at SIM Artist Residency in Reykjavik, Iceland. Ephemera from his performances has been collected by the Archives and Special Collections of The Cooper Union.
Image credit: Meme