Author Description

Yes To A Rosy Future documents Righetti's stay in Syria and presents the photos taken during this time, captioned with statements from Bashar al Assad s official speeches. An afterword by Christian Bråndle, director of the Zurich Design Museum, considers the relationship between the ruler and his people and how his image is used to hint at his omnipresence a smiling face, always there for his loyal subjects. With the Arab Spring and the protests that took place in Syria starting in early 2011, this relationship was questioned and tested. One thing is certain Bashar al Assad is still there for his people, whether they want him to be or not. The propagandistic images and slogans of 2007 have taken on a new relevance: images of triumphant power and his obdurate statements reveal a completely different portrait, that of the smiling face of repression.