Nasser Road : Political postcards in Uganda

Nasser Road is the beating heart of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Here you can (illegally) order and purchase just about anything, from travel documents, job references, and banknotes to one of the most eye-catching products gracing the city’s streets: political posters. These posters are more than just commercial products and simultaneously serve as acts of resistance. Executed in a characteristic, Hollywood-like visual language, on these colourful images printed on cardboard controversial political leaders are portrayed as heroes of the resistance, thus challenging the Western global powers. Using typical low-budget aesthetics reminiscent of the early days of the internet, Donald Trump, Sadam Hussein, and Osama Bin Laden are frequently presented as Hollywood action heroes like RoboCop, Rambo, or Darth Vader. The exhibition RoboCop in Uganda offers an insight into the origins of these posters and the role they play in the country’s political culture.
The selection of posters featured in the exhibition is based on Professor Kristof Titeca’s photobook Nasser Road, which was nominated for the 2023 Paris Photo Aperture First Photobook Award. Titeca has been collecting these political posters for twenty years now, sourcing them from a small group of Nasser Road designers. They are an essential component of the Ugandan printing industry, finding their way to barber shops, cafés, and homes via street vendors.
source: kunsthal.nl