The magazine of the photo-essay
Red Utopia
by Jan Banning
“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!”
Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film maker
“With the photo project Red Utopia I want to contribute to the debate on social structure
and the division between rich and poor, something that is becoming increasingly
important at this juncture in time.” – Jan Banning
Red Utopia is a photo project about Communist party premises and their
iconography. The series focuses on "democratic" - at least officially non-Communist
countries on several continents, where communism still plays an important role.
It covers the following five countries:
India: the federal state of Kerala elected the world's first Communist government in
1957. Since 2016, Kerala is being ruled by a coalition led by two Communist parties.
Italy the birthplace of Euro-Communism. The PCI has long been the largest
Communist party in the capitalist West. The Civil Revolution coalition, with among
others the PRC, took about 2% in the national elections in 2013 and 4% in the
European elections of 2014.
Nepal has a Marxist-Leninist president, a member of the largest opposition party,

the CPN-UML. In 2016, the country again opted, by a large majority, to elect a Maoist prime minister for a government of
Maoists and the Nepali Congress Party.
Portugal, the PCP and smaller communist parties support the Socialist government to a large extent since 2015.
Russia, where in the last parliamentary elections (September 2016) the CPRF again became the second biggest party by
securing more than 13% of the vote.Already before the Russian Revolution of 1917, communism was a source of
inspiration for idealists and revolutionaries who sought a fairer society. The struggle between communism and capitalism
was one of the main themes in recent history, certainly between 1917 and 1989.
The gritty experiences of real socialism, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the triumph of neoliberalism seemed to deliver the
final blow to the communist ideology. Many communist parties were disbanded after 1989 or slowly bled dry. While the
Free Market seemed to have become the only remaining ideology, the gap between rich and poor widened in many
countries.
For Banning - a non-party progressive - Red is a non-propagandistic search for what's left of the communist ideals, 100
years after the October Revolution. The series shows interiors of party offices and environmental portraits of party officials
and activists: people who, unlike their colleagues in communist dictatorships, chose membership of such a party out of a
sense of conviction and free choice against the prevailing neoliberal trend.
From September 29, 2018 to January 13, 2019, a large selection of this work can be viewed in Zephyr (Reiss-Engelhorn-
Museen), Mannheim Germany; the exhibition is also available for other museums and cultural institutions.
Communism in India - Kerala. Communist Party of India (Marxist), aka CPI (M), Thaliparamba South Local Committee
office.
Communism in India – Kerala. Communist Party of India, aka CPI , the second biggest party in the ruling LDF coalition in
Kerala State: Kondotty Town CPI Branch Office (district Malappuram).
Communism in India – Kerala. Communist Party of India, aka CPI, Methala Village Committee office. The CPI is the
second biggest party in the ruling LDF coalition in Kerala State.
Communism in India, Kerala. Communist Party of India (Marxist), aka CPI (M) Punnapra South local committee office. N.P.
Vidyanandan (69), Local Committee Secretary. The CPI(M), the Communist Party of India (Marxist), is the biggest party in
Kerala.
Communism in India – Kerala. The communist Toddy Workers’ Union office in Ambalapuzha Taluk (subdistrict). Toddy is
fermented palm wine.
Communism, India, Kerala. Communist Party of India (Marxist), aka CPI (M) Ikyabharatham local committee office,
Alappuza District. The CPI(M) is the major political party in the state of Kerala, and the leading partner in the communist-
led government of this state in Southern India. Portraits are of communist leaders E.M.S. and A.K.G.
Communism in India, Kerala. A Cardboard statue of A.K.G., one of the founders of CPI(M), and a portrait of Krishapillai, in
the meeting hall.
India, communism. Meeting hall, with portraits of Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Ho Chi Minh, pus smaller ones of many local party
activists.
Italy, communism. Partito della Rifondazione Comunista, aka PRC, Sezione Palmiro Togliatti in Taverna (Calabria).
Communism, Italy, Partito della Rifondazione Comunista, aka PRC, sede Acerra "Emiliano Zapata" in Acerra (Campania).
Party activist Maria Schiavone (24).
Italy, communism. Partito della Rifondazione Comunista, aka PRC, circolo Che Guevara in Verbicaro (Calabria).
Italy, communism. Partito della Rifondazione Comunista, aka PRC, circolo Giudecca, Venice. Two party activists: Primo
Ardit (L) and Valeria Dordit (R).
Nepal, communism. Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) CPN (UML), aka CPN (UML) District office in
Nepalgunj city, Banke district, Nepalgunj zone. Constituency office, for constituency #3 from Banke district. CPN-UML
came out as the 2nd biggest party (after Nepali Congress) in the 2013 elections, with 175 of 575 elected seats.
Nepal, communism. CPN-ML (Marxists-Leninists) District office in Ghorahi, Dang district. Govinda Bahadur KK,
politbureau member and member of the central committee. On the floor: banner for national convention of the party’s
student wing.Portrait to the left is of Pushpa Lal Shrestha (1924 - 1978), founding general secretary of the Communist
Party of Nepal (predecessor of several Nepalese ML parties). The CPN-ML split from the Communist Party of Nepal
(Unified Marxist Leninist) in 1998. They later reunited but a faction retained this party (CPN-ML) and now (2-2015) has
5/601 MOPs.
Nepal, communism. CPN Maoist (Biplab) district party office in Buwal, Rupandehi district, with portrait of Mao. The Netra
Bikram Chanda (aka “Biplab”)-led CPN Maoist is a breakaway faction of the breakaway Baidya’s CPN-M (“Dash Maoists”)
and it has threatened to take up arms again.
Nepal, communism. CPN-Maoist (Baidya) district contact office in Pokhara, Kaski district. This group includes the
Constituency Incharge (to R), 3 members of youth wing (3x L), and a journalist/editor of a pro-party newspaper (4th from L).
Baidya’s party broke away from the main UCPN Maoists in 2012. It refused to participate in the 2013 elections or take up
any seats in the (2nd) Constituent Assembly.
Nepal, communism. CPN-Maoist (Baidya) district office in Banepa, Kavre district. Gita Rasaili (25), office secretary.
Baidya’s party broke away from the main UCPN Maoists in 2012. It refused to participate in the 2013 elections or take up
any seats in the (2nd) Constituent Assembly.
Nepal, communism. Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), aka CPN (UML), district office in Danusha
(Janakpur zone). CPN (UML) came out as the 2nd biggest party (after Nepali Congress) in the 2013 elections, with 175 of
575 elected seats.
Nepal, communism. United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), aka UCPN(M). district committee office in Mahottari,
Jaleshwor district (Janakpur zone). District Committee chairperson Jamun Mandal. The CPN-UML came out as the 2nd
biggest party (after Nepali Congress) in the 2013 elections, with 175 of 575 elected seats. The big portrait L foreground is
of Pushpa Lal Shrestha (1924 - 1978), founding general secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (predecessor of
several Nepalese ML parties).
Nepal, communism. CPN (Marxist) Sindhuli district office, Sindhuli town. Office secretary and Central Committee member
Lila Shrestha. Thie CPN (Marxist) is a marginal party which did not win seats in the 2013 elections.
Nepal, communism. Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), aka CPN (UML), district standing committee
office of Sindhuli district. Office secretary Ramhari Pokharel in the administrative office. Portrait L: Kim Il-Sung. The CPN-
UML came out as the 2nd biggest party (after Nepali Congress) in the 2013 elections, with 175 of 575 elected seats. #5
Communism, Russia. Communist Party of the Russian Federation, aka KPRF, raykom (rayon committee) office in Rylsk,
Kursk Oblast.
Communism, Russia. KPRF Raikom (rayon committee) office in Velikiye Luki, Pskov oblast.
Communism, Russia. Communist Party of the Russian Federation, aka KPRF, raykom (Rayon Committee) office in
Borovichi, Novgorod Oblast. L to R: two ladies running Children of the War Council; First secretary Valery Ivanyushko
(seen on the back); two party members.
Communism, Russia. Communist Party of the Russian Federation, aka KPRF, local Committee office in Torzhok, Tver
Oblast. First Secretary Olga Volnina.
Communism in Russia. Communist Party of the Russian Federation, aka KPRF, raykom (rayon committee) office in Kirov
(Kaluga oblast). First Secretary Valentina Gelperina.