The affirmative politics of degrowth: Miguel Brieva’s graphic narrative Memorias de la Tierra

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis work explores how Miguel Brieva’s 2012 graphic narrative Memorias de la Tierra constructs social horizons for change and action - what Rosi Braidotti calls “affirmative politics” - based on a systemic critique of consumer culture and capitalist ideology. Brieva’s social critique and advocacy for change in Memorias dialogue with central tenets of Southern European socio-ecological movements - particularly degrowth - and Spanish grassroots democracy movements - including 15-M and the platform ¡Democracia Real Ya! - that undermine key assumptions of capitalist economics and neoliberal politics. I argue that the complexity of Memorias' graphic form allows Brieva to more effectively participate in the construction of an affirmative politics that reflects contemporary redefinitions of community, activism and knowledge production. Brieva offers his reader complex information in a palatable, visual manner, allowing for the nondogmatic communication of activist projects. While degrowth highlights consumer apathy as a major barrier to effective change, I examine how Memorias’ graphic form works to engage readers, reminding them of their autonomy and capacity for action. Memorias’ critique and affirmative politics are explored in the context of the charged and dynamic social debate that gained momentum after the 2008 Spanish economic crisis.