competition submission

LIVE NOT BY LIES

On the theme “protopia.”

Protopia as a concept positions itself in contrast to utopia and dystopia— two states which, though opposite in theory, prove to be more or less comparable in practice. Utopias often suppress dissent, striving to reshape human nature to fit a simplistic, one-dimensional vision. The Soviet Union serves as a prime example, where personal participation in societal lies led to widespread corruption and “spiritual death,” as described by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in his accounts of the Gulag Archipelago and his essay Live Not by Lies.

Solzhenitsyn emphasized the individual's responsibility to reject falsehoods and not participate in societal lies, asserting that true liberation comes from personal non-participation in these distortions of the truth. My concept of protopia embodies this principle: a society where individuals refuse to promote or remain silent about falsehoods, even at personal risk. This project highlights the dangers of utopian thinking and the essential role of individual courage in maintaining objective reality. As Solzhenitsyn stated, “It’s dangerous. But let us refuse to say what we do not think.”