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Public Against Violence

Poster
1989 (designed and printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Public Against Violence (VNP) was the Slovak equivalent of the Civic Forum opposition movement in Prague. It was found in Bratislava on the same evening as Civic Forum, the 19th of November 1989, by Slovak actor Milan Knažko, performer Ján Budaj and sociologist Fedor Gál. The VPN movement was active from 1989 until the 5th of March 1991 when it split off into the Movement for Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) with Vladimír Meciar as its political leader and the Civic Democratic Union (ODÚ-VPN) led by Fedor Gál. The HZDS won the elections in 1992. The Civic Democratic Union (ODÚ-VPN) dissolved in November 1992 after losing public support.

Slovak designer Karol Rosmány created the VPN logo as a hand-painted initial letter ‘V’ in the Slovak national tricolour (blue, red and white). It recalls ‘velvet revolution’ graffiti
painted quickly on city walls and hung on banners from shop windows. The letter ‘V’ is a well-known symbol for ‘Victory’ and was often appeared as a hand gesture during the mass demonstrations in November 1989.


Designed, printed and published in former Czechoslovakia


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Public Against Violence (generic title)
  • Pro-democracy Poster Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Screenprint in blue and red printed on paper
Brief description
Poster by Cislo Povolenia, Czechoslovakia, 1989, RF 92/568
Physical description
Poster
Dimensions
  • Height: 83.9cm
  • Width: 58.1cm
Credit line
Given by Sophie Grillet
Production
Designed, printed and published in former Czechoslovakia
Summary
Public Against Violence (VNP) was the Slovak equivalent of the Civic Forum opposition movement in Prague. It was found in Bratislava on the same evening as Civic Forum, the 19th of November 1989, by Slovak actor Milan Knažko, performer Ján Budaj and sociologist Fedor Gál. The VPN movement was active from 1989 until the 5th of March 1991 when it split off into the Movement for Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) with Vladimír Meciar as its political leader and the Civic Democratic Union (ODÚ-VPN) led by Fedor Gál. The HZDS won the elections in 1992. The Civic Democratic Union (ODÚ-VPN) dissolved in November 1992 after losing public support.

Slovak designer Karol Rosmány created the VPN logo as a hand-painted initial letter ‘V’ in the Slovak national tricolour (blue, red and white). It recalls ‘velvet revolution’ graffiti
painted quickly on city walls and hung on banners from shop windows. The letter ‘V’ is a well-known symbol for ‘Victory’ and was often appeared as a hand gesture during the mass demonstrations in November 1989.


Designed, printed and published in former Czechoslovakia
Collection
Accession number
E.2437-1991

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Record createdFebruary 25, 2009
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