The creative fusion of art and activism in urban spaces has propelled the British collective Led by Donkeys into the spotlight, garnering millions of views for their interventions on social media. Their critical visual occupations - whether billboard messages during the day or large-scale projections at night - raise a compelling question: which medium holds the greater persuasive power? The book "Led by Donkeys: Adventures in Art, Activism and Accountability" offers a deep dive into their conceptual approach, charting their rapid evolution over six years. What began as a London-based response to Brexit has expanded into a global critique of political hypocrisy, addressing issues in Europe, the Middle East, and America. For Peter Weibel, former director of the ZKM Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany, the innovative fusion of activism and art—or "Artivism"—represents the first new art form of the 21st century. Years of experience in environmental activism provided the group with crucial insights into the mechanics of political communication, the organization of public interventions, and the challenges of achieving meaningful societal change.
A Witty Rebellion Against Brexit
Led by Donkeys was founded in response to the frustration surrounding Brexit, initiated by four men who had all voted to remain in the European Union. Their journey began with guerrilla-style billboard interventions that exposed political contradictions, evolving into large-scale, high-impact projections on iconic UK landmarks. Their name "Led by Donkeys" is a historical reference to World War I, where German commanders reportedly described British soldiers as "lions led by donkeys," a critique of incompetent leadership. The collective saw a modern parallel between British political leaders and their reckless handling of Brexit.
Their first intervention was a nighttime operation in Dover, illegally pasting a billboard that featured a past tweet from former Prime Minister David Cameron about Britain's leadership. Lacking experience in large-scale poster installations, they disguised themselves in high-visibility jackets and carried a ladder to appear professional. Though the poster was swiftly removed, a photograph of the intervention went viral on formerly Twitter now X, revealing the power of juxtaposing political rhetoric with stark reality. The group remained anonymous for several months before revealing their identities: Ben Stewart, Oliver Knowles, James Sadri, and Will Rose—all with backgrounds in Greenpeace and political campaigning.
The Power of Light in Protest
Expanding their medium beyond billboards, Led by Donkeys explored the potential of light. They began with two digital advertising vans, displaying tweets and declarations from politicians, particularly targeting Nigel Farage's "March to Leave." A breakthrough came when a projection operator offered them a powerful new projector capable of casting images onto vast surfaces with impressive clarity. This technological shift ushered in a new chapter in their visual language, enabling rapid, large-scale interventions that required no permanent physical alterations to urban spaces.
In April 2019, the collective staged one of their most striking projections: a message to the European Union from the British Remain movement. Using maritime Morse code, they projected an "SOS" onto the White Cliffs of Dover, with the "O" transforming into the twelve-starred EU flag. The words "THIS IS OUR STAR – WE'RE FIGHTING FOR IT" accompanied the video, symbolizing Britain's struggle to remain in the EU. The projection, spanning 3,000 square meters, was visible to ferry passengers crossing the English Channel and even to travelers flying into Gatwick. The intervention quickly went viral, attracting half a million views and prompting a response from Guy Verhofstadt, the EU Parliament's Brexit representative: "Quite something to see the White Cliffs of Dover turn blue. But the European project is much more than a lifebuoy. It's our rock on which we have to build our future."
Scaling Up: Political Satire in Projection
With Donald Trump's state visit to London in June 2019, Led by Donkeys seized the opportunity to link the American president to key Brexiteers, particularly Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson. Using Google Street View, they identified three high-profile locations that would be instantly recognizable to American audiences. The Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben), then covered in scaffolding, provided the perfect canvas for a 200-square-meter projection of a 2015 video in which Johnson called Trump "unfit for the presidency." The team played the video repeatedly, capturing the reactions of passersby before police intervened.
By shifting from billboards to projections, the collective harnessed several advantages: speed, scale, and surprise. Led by Donkeys skillfully uses the potential of economy of design to quickly, safely, and reliably bring impressive messages into public spaces with minimal resources. Unlike traditional protest banners on facades, which require time-consuming and high-risk setups, projections allow for quick execution and easy departure before authorities arrive. Digital projection also introduced dynamic content, a feature unavailable in static poster design. Compared to graffiti, projections leave no permanent marks, preserving the architectural integrity of their chosen sites.
The Digital Takeover of Public Space
The interplay between historical landmarks and contemporary political messages lends Led by Donkeys' work a unique resonance, updating urban spaces with timely interventions. By repurposing landmarks as canvases for political critique, their work engages in a form of urban semiotics, where familiar architectural symbols acquire new, urgent meanings. This reframing of public space challenges conventional narratives and encourages citizens to reinterpret their urban surroundings through the lens of activism.
Given the ephemeral nature of projections, documentation is crucial. Their carefully composed photos and videos, which quickly capture the location and its symbolic meaning and draw attention to the central message of the projection, ensure maximum reach on social media. The authenticity of a real-world projection - set against the backdrop of a landmark - adds credibility, sparking online engagement that extends beyond the duration of the physical intervention.
However, the rise of digital manipulation has introduced new challenges. In a 2025 collaboration with the German activist group Zentrum für Politische Schönheit (Center for Political Beauty), Led by Donkeys projected controversial images onto the Tesla Gigafactory near Berlin. Among them was a picture of Elon Musk giving the apparent Nazi salute at Trump's inauguration. When the image circulated online, Tesla's security guards to the press dismissed it as fake, a claim initially accepted by the police and media. This incident underscored the delicate balance between interventionist art and misinformation, reaffirming the importance of real-world installations in an era of AI-generated content.
The Strength of Satire and Speed
Led by Donkeys' impact lies in their ability to swiftly respond to political developments, distilling complex issues into simple, powerful visuals. Their sharp wit and historical awareness expose the gap between political promises and reality, making their interventions both timely and timeless. By skillfully navigating the relationship between physical space, digital media, and political critique, they continue to redefine the boundaries of protest art in the 21st century.
Light matters, a column on light and space, is written by Dr. Thomas Schielke. Based in Germany, he is fascinated by architectural lighting and works as a trainer for the lighting company ERCO. He has published numerous articles and co-authored the books "Light Perspectives" and "SuperLux". For more information check www.erco.com and www.arclighting.de.
