Far-right ideology is no longer confined to the analogue world – it now spreads primarily and often subtly through social media. Right-wing codes are frequently disguised in memes or TikTok videos, for example, in current fitness trends that, particularly among young men, promote fascist tendencies, militarization, and a reactionary image of masculinity.

Artists Jakob Ganslmeier and Ana Zibelnik critically examine these strategies in their video installation “Bereitschaft”, which will be on view at the Museum Zwangsarbeit im Nationalsozialismus (“Museum Forced Labor under National Socialism”) as part of Kunstfest Weimar (“Art festival Weimar”) from August 20 to September 7.

To decode the signs and codes used in the digital space, the duo developed the glossary “If a Flower Bloomed in a Dark Room, Would You Trust It?”. It provides an overview of memes, codes, and symbols used in far-right circles, along with their meanings. The artists also share this knowledge in various workshops during Kunstfest Weimar, where young people create their own creative responses to far-right aesthetics and ideologies in digital media.

As part of Art Creates Democracy 2025, MeetFrida brings the project into the digital sphere: ten Instagram and TikTok posts present the artists, the installation, and the glossary, explain far-right codes, and share facts about online hate. A freely accessible social media kit allows everyone to spread this content further – making artistic counter-narratives more visible online.

Art Creates Democracy 2025 is supported by Freundeskreis der Heinrich-Böll Stiftung (“Friends of the Heinrich Böll Foundation”).