Short Description
All artists, designers and creatives in the world are invited to participate in the fourth version of the International Poster Show of San Mateo (SIPSM25). This year, the central theme will be “Quality Education,” and each category will present a conceptual manifesto.
Categories:
- Professionals
Was all past time better? This phrase may be questionable when you look at the context of Sustainable Development Goal 4 focused on quality education. For many, quality lies in the past. Behavioral methodologies formed solid thinkers through the norm, order and rigidity of processes. However, education of yesteryear can also be understood as a privilege, as its coverage reached only certain social sectors. Thus, the relationship between quantity and quality could have been a constant limited by access.
Education has now ceased to be seen as a privilege to become a right. However, physical (educational infrastructure) and human structures (teens and administrative) similar to those of the past persist in many parts of the world. This generates overcrowding in school spaces or, in the worst case, their total absence. In addition, overpopulation in the classroom – with a high list of students per teacher – dilutes individualized educational processes and makes them generalizations in the formulation of knowledge. Educational funding, for its part, does not always grow at the same rate as the number of students.
The gap between quality and education widened further during the pandemic. This situation showed the lack of connectivity in many territories, which negatively affected various factors related to educational quality. First, the lack of connectivity caused an imbalance in curricula by hindering communication between educational institutions and students. This instability generated a relaxation of academic times that affected pedagogical planning, creating gaps in individual processes of acquiring knowledge.
A second point is that, at present, the constructivist approach predominates in many educational environments. According to Dominguez (2008), this model proposes the internalization of knowledge for its efficient learning, describing processes of accommodation and assimilation in which the ancestor experiences serve as a link to cohesive with coherence all the information extracted from the world (p. 196). This approach, based on both individual and collective experimentation, was limited by the social conditions of students and teachers during confinement. Many households lacked the resources to replicate school dynamics, as well as facing a completely new context marked by lock-up, uncertainty and disease.
In turn, the absence of conductive formation increased the difficulty in the dissemination and assimilation of knowledge. The lack of habit in self-training collided with the recreational use of mobile devices and social networks, whose nature of entertainment rivalled academic demands. This confrontation perhaps generated a greater attachment to light and superficial content, producing a disinterest in the spaces of rigorous criticism, analysis and formation, such as scientific thinking.
The pandemic brought unsuspecting challenges. García-Martínez (2022) introduces the concept of panic-failure, a phenomenon that developed during the pandemic and characterized by overwhelming overinformation combined with intimate processes such as loneliness, anguish, disease and confinement, without neglecting neglect and fear:
The interpretation of the future with traditional or contemporary prophets who intended to offer an explanation to the phenomenon increased the panic-fashion that the confinement of the pandemic caused us. It was not unusual to expect this cascade of information to disturb our psychological state. Moreover, it certified that our weakness is not only physical. (p. 11)
A third point to consider is that, during the pandemic, communication and interest in knowledge were also affected, which could result – according to some speculations – in a future absence of great thinkers in various disciplines. The interruption of basic training processes such as reading and writing sharpened the phenomenon of functional illiteracy: people who know how to read, but do not understand or analyze a text, and who know how to write, but do not write coherently.
Added to these reflections are the new processes of knowledge production, now mediated by artificial intelligence (AI). For many, this technology has revolutionized all fields of knowledge by expediting processes that previously required reflection, analysis and contemplation. The optimistic stance on AI highlights automation, speed and efficiency. Activities that used to take hours or days can be completed in seconds. But then, the question arises: to whom are the results of these products attributed?
On the other hand, a more critical stance on AI warns of the possible reduction of human thinking. If this trend moves into the educational field, we could be witnessing the loss of fundamental skills such as analysis, reflection and contemplation, which are inherent ways of the human being to face his contextual needs. Instead, the thinking would be reduced to the ability to draft instructions (prompts) for AI to act for us.
Artistic expressions have not been alien to this transformation either. AI has demonstrated an amazing ability to generate images, sounds, texts and audiovisuals, which questions the relationship between creativity, time and effort. This reality forces us to rethink the concept of quality education.
From the conductive approach, AI could be seen as a tool to reinforce learning through repetition and trial-error. From constructivism, it could be integrated as a means for experimentation and the construction of meanings. However, it is essential to question its role and impact in order to generate a critical discussion that truly favors quality in the absorption and dissemination of knowledge.
- Students
According to the United Nations (S.f.), it is estimated that by 2030 approximately 300 million students will not be able to develop basic numeracy and literacy skills, necessary for a full life. Access to quality education, which was already limited, has suffered a considerable setback after co-vid19.
Education is a key factor in reducing inequalities, promoting a healthy and sustainable life, and developing more peaceful societies. It certainly has an impact on the sustained growth of countries. Lifelong-life education strategies and plans, provide citizens with skills and attitudes that allow them not only to understand, but also to act on complex issues such as climate change, the emergence of new technologies and, in general, to take critical positions in the face of productive, economic, political and social phenomena that impact our daily lives.
According to the Concern Wordwide (2024) portal, the right to education faces multiple problems and challenges. Among the most urgent, we can mention:
War conflicts and localized violence: USAID and UNESCO have submitted a number of reports warning of lack of access to education in conflict areas.
School bullying: this aspect becomes a cause of drop-out and has a direct impact on the development of socio-emotional skills in boys and girls.
Climate change.
Labour policies: these, by precariously restoring the living conditions of the population, limit access to school or adult education processes.
The lack of adequate remuneration for teachers.
Gender gaps: in many countries, girls continue to face barriers to accessing education or completing its different stages.
The lack of health coverage.
Language barriers: are especially important in displacement contexts or in caring for populations that do not speak hegemonic languages. This also implies a loss of cultural knowledge.
Added to these challenges is the danger posed by some political regimes and the right-wing turn that several governments have taken around the world, which often leads to the reduction of budgets for public education, the promotion of the private sector to the detriment of the public and a conservative vision that implies setbacks in terms of access, inclusion, equity, gender and content development.
As Cinthia Wanschelbaum (2022) mentions, the pandemic demonstrated the limits to which neoliberal models took us. In the educational sphere, these inequalities were especially notorious: we witnessed a forced virtualization of education, which involved not only the invasion of private space, but also the widening of the technological gap, generating a significant lag in families with fewer resources. In addition, the school was lost as a physical space, which represented a safe place for many children. Subsequently, the massive and accelerated emergence of educational technologies has made it difficult to adequately evaluate its implementation, compromising the delivery of truly inclusive and quality education.
Faced with this complex scenario, the implementation of public policies that protect the right to education is paramount today than ever. As citizens, we must demand that free education be respected, especially in the early years of life, and that their access to the most vulnerable groups be guaranteed. It is also vital that the different entities that make up education systems promote ethical, responsible and appropriate use of technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual teaching platforms.
- Poster on the move
It is essential to recognize and raise awareness of the importance of visual creation as a resource that actively contributes to the implementation of the Objective of Sustainable Development (SDGs), number 4, which seeks to ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education for all. In this context, visual creation can facilitate communication, access to knowledge and participation of various groups, thus contributing to global efforts to ensure that all children and young people complete primary and secondary education, which is free and quality, and that there is adequate access to early childhood care and development services (United Nations, 2023).
The picture of education looks tragic if action is not taken in time. The progress of quality education prior to the pandemic was already very slow. However, the covine-19 caused learning delays. Statistics vary between countries, but a common denominator is the recording of learning losses caused by the closure of pandemic-related schools. In turn, the study identifies only one in six countries will achieve the goal of completing universal secondary education by 2030; i.e. some 84 million children and young people will not be able to attend school. Therefore, they will not receive education and approximately 300 million students will not have the basic skills in numeracy and literacy essential as a basis for improving their lives and sustainable development (United Nations, 2023).
However, in order to achieve goal 4 of quality education, funding for education must be a priority in each country ' s budget to meet the following goals: ensuring free basic and secondary education; increasing the number of qualified teachers; renovating basic school infrastructure; and hosting digital skills in information and communication technologies.
The aim is also to ensure equal access to quality pre-school education, as well as technical, vocational and higher education. It also promotes an increase in the number of people with relevant skills to achieve economic success. These strategies include non-discrimination in access to education, increased literacy levels and basic arithmetic skills, promotion of education for global citizenship, the construction of safe and inclusive schools, and the expansion of scholarships for higher education in developing countries.
The SDGs were created by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This institution becomes a promoter, guarantor and educator, which will ensure that all children attend a free primary and secondary education by 2030.
It is in this context that visual creators play a fundamental role, since, with the support of the design – which goes beyond the aesthetic – they assume the responsibility of providing creative solutions to global problems. Design thus becomes a strategic tool for proposing innovative responses, especially at a time when these are more necessary than ever (Today is the day, 2023).
In turn, the creators play a key role in the production of visual materials that support and promote the importance of inclusive, equitable and quality education; it is a driver of lifelong learning opportunities for all. This involves designing socially responsiblely to develop messages that make a positive contribution to society, accessibility, inclusion and sustainability; using clear and effective visual language that reaches various groups of people (Frascara, 2000).
Education is an essential component of human life. As Colom (1991) points out, educating for life becomes an educator in life (p. x), thus stressing the need to integrate education into everyday life, rather than seeing it only as a preparation for the future. This implies conceiving education as a continuous process, linked to the reality and experiences of the student, which should not only be an end in itself, but also a means for personal and social development. In this regard, it aligns with the ideal of inclusive, equitable and quality education that promotes lifelong learning opportunities.
Therefore, we invite all visual artists, painters, illustrators, animators, musicians and audiovisual filmmakers to join this global cause. It is time for visual creators to carry out shocking actions with social responsibility, contributing to the promotion of SDG 4, by using their creativity and skills to create communicative visual materials with clear and effective visual language, which support quality education and lifelong learning.
Eligibility
Posters: They must be related to the manifesto in each category (read and create from the manifesto).
Format: PNG. Size 796px – 1221px RGB 300 dpi, vertical direction. Maximum weight of 10Mb. Posters that do not comply with the format will not be included in the gallery and in the book.
Poster in motion: (Gifs or MP4) horizontal direction 1,280 x 720 RGB. Duration of 30 seconds maximum (video art, experimental, animation, etc.). Include a PNG image. Size 796px – 1221px RGB 300 dpi for the catalogue and gallery.
How to Apply
Online Application
Program Benefits & Awards
Winners must have an account on PayPal to make the payments.
- Professionals: 2 million Colombian pesos (approximately 500 US dollars). and will be the cover of the book in the category.
- Students: 1 million Colombian pesos (approximately 350 American dollars), and will be the cover of the category book.
- Poster on the move: 150,000 Colombian pesos (approximately 350 US dollars). and will be the cover of the category book.
Entry Fee
None
Location
Colombia
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 3 October 2025
Website Link: https://sipsm.com/convocatoria-call
