Cartoons as way of dialogue in the virtual world

Ali Farzat, one of the most famous Arab cartoonist, tries to engage his audience on the Internet.

SMN No. 11, November 10, 2010

Through the internet, the well-known Syrian cartoonist Ali Farzat is turning caricature from a passive art form into one encouraging interaction and participation amongst the growing Syrian online community.

Farzat’s website – which displays cartoons mocking aspects of Syrian and Arab political, social and economic life – as well as his Facebook page with around 4,400 friends, have become a space for the exchange of views amongst a diverse community.

Farzat, born in the Syrian city of Hama in 1956, is one of the most famous cartoonists in Syria and in the region. In 2001 Farzat founded the satirical newspaper “Domari”, the first independent publication in Syria for decades. It was shut down in 2003 after the Syrian government cancelled its license. His cartoons have not published in the local print media ever since.

Through his website, Farzat organises monthly art competitions for painters and caricaturists “about all topics of human interest”. Visitors to the website participate with a jury to select the winning painting artwork, which is then shown in Farzat´s Damascus gallery.

Farzat also posts a weekly topic for discussion, including sensitive issues, such as the question of whether “the concept of occupation comes from outside or originates on the inside?” Debates like this usually trigger dozens of comments and messages.

The site also features a page entitled “Karicallam” – a composite of the words caricature and the Arabic “kalam”, which means speaking – where he presents satirical cartoons with texts commenting on issues of daily life in Syria.

Via the page “Cartoons With Your Ideas”, Farzat allows fans to inspire him with ideas for future works. All these invitations to dialogue spark a remarkable number of reactions and responses.

Farzat, the former president of the association of Arab cartoonists, has received many local, regional and international awards. In 1994, he was elected as one of the world’s five best painters at the Festival Morg in Switzerland.