Mazzara, F. 2026. Discrowning the king: border performativity, humour and transgression around the Trump Wall. Cultural Studies. 40 (4), pp. 652-669. https://doi.org/10.1080/09502386.2026.2670333
| Title | Discrowning the king: border performativity, humour and transgression around the Trump Wall |
|---|---|
| Type | Journal article |
| Authors | Mazzara, F. |
| Abstract | This article identifies forms of creative visual resistance to a prevailing logic of border enforcement around the world – a logic aimed at curbing undocumented human movement, often with deadly consequences. These forms of resistance serve to highlight the porosity and triviality of borders, as well as the violence that increasingly defines their global management. This phenomenon is perpetuated through policies, rhetorical strategies, speech acts and media narratives that together sustain a toxic discourse of exclusion. Following a discussion of the theoretical framework of border abolitionism and a critical reading of performative and ritualistic state power, the article undertakes an analysis of two instances of artistic digital practices that mock the state border performance while subverting it. Both were prompted by the spectre of the ‘Trump Wall’ in the US-Mexico border during the 2016 election campaign. From the perspective of this article, visual forms of resistance transgress the border, exposing its violence and absurdity while reimagining it as a space for creative and alternative political strategies. The analysis engages with the concept of the carnivalesque, foregrounding its ambivalent character as a mode of transgression that can both reinforce sovereign power and, when reclaimed from below, enable forms of visual resistance that unsettle bordering practices. |
| Journal | Cultural Studies |
| Journal citation | 40 (4), pp. 652-669 |
| ISSN | 0950-2386 |
| 1466-4348 | |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
| Publisher's version | License CC BY-NC-ND File Access Level Open (open metadata and files) |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/09502386.2026.2670333 |
| Publication dates | |
| Published online | 19 May 2026 |