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Former Research Focus and Past Activities

2016 - 2017

Year's topics: The challenges of working interdisciplinary / Aesthetics and Politics

 

In the winter semester 2016/17 and the summer semester 2017, our work particularly focused the meta-reflexion of the challenges of working interdisciplinary in the broad field of visual culture. Coming from different academic disciplines (such as art history, literary studies, cultural studies, media studies, political science, history and sociology) our discussions aimed always to identify and reflect the knowledge underlying our specific disciplinary approach to visual practices. In individual sessions we jointly discussed specific theoretical perspectives and discussed the challenges and benefits of an inter- and trans-disciplinary dialogue.

 

Our discussions were inspired and informed on specific theoretical texts and perspectives, such as:

 

W.J.T: Mitchell. 1995. "Interdisciplinarity and Visual Culture." In: Art Bulletin, Vol. LXXVII: 540-544.

Brosch, Renate. 2008. "Bilderflut und Bildverstehen. Neue Wege der Kulturwissenschaft." In: Themenheft Forschung: Kultur und Technik (4): 70-78.

Schade, Sigrid/Silke Wenk (eds.). 2011. Studien zur Visuellen Kultur. Einführung in ein transdiziplinares Forschungsfeld. Bielefeld: Transcript.

Jacques Rancière. (2004) [2000]. The Distribution of the Sensible. London/New York: Continuum International Publishing Group. 

Heck, Axel/Gabi Schlag. 2013. "Securitizing images: The female body and the war in Afghanistan." In: European Journal of International Relations 19(4): 891–913.

Lene Hansen. (2015). "How images make world politics: International icons and the case of Abu Ghraib." In: Review of International Studies 41(2): 263-288.

 

Further activities organized by the research are during the summer term 2017 included:

  • May 11th 2017: Discussion with Dr. Ana Ivasiuc (JLU, Political Science): "Sharing the Insecure Sensible: The Circulation of Images of the Roma on the Social Media"
  • June 6th 2017: Keynote Lecture offered by Prof. Jonathan D. Katz (Buffalo University, New York): "How AIDS Changed American Culture"
  • June 7th 2017: Master Class with Prof. Jonathan D. Katz (Buffalo University, New York): "On the Sexuality of Modernism"
  • July 6th 2017: Workshop with Prof. Dr. Katharina Stornig (JLU/GCSC) and Dr. Silvan Niedermeier (Erfurt): "Imperialism and Photography. Historical Perspectives" (Part I of the Interdisciplinary Methodology Lab scheduled for January 2018)

 

Parallel to the theoretical discussions the research area worked on the conceptualization of a Methodology Lab, which will serve as an open dialogue of methodological questions pertaining to the different disciplinary approaches to visual material and visual practices, focussing specific on the political dimensions of visual practices and visual material. The Interdisciplinary Methodology Lab, scheduled for January 2018, is an open event for all (post)doctoral fellows of the GCSC and will consist of 5 workshops offered by experts from disciplines such as: art history, queer & performance studies, political science and international relations, history and cultural studies / Kulturwissenschaften. 


Active Participants: Laura Lizarazo (Speaker), Oliver Klaassen, Astrid Groholzsky, Laura Holderied, Annabel Ruckdeschel, Philipp Brockkötter, Prof. Katharina Stornig. 



2015 - 2016

Year's topic: Art as Research - Research as Art 


In the winter semester 2015/16 and the summer semester 2016, the RA’s work particularly focused on the topic of “Research as Art – Art as Research.” 
In the winter term, we initially elaborated on the role of visual material and visual practices in the context of research processes (“Research as Art”). We asked in how far artistic or creative practices are applied in research cycles and whether we could hence understand research as a form of art. The topic inspired interesting discussions about the value, the meaning, the interpretation, the materiality, and the status of visual and material culture in the context of our individual research practices. The focus was primarily placed on research methods in order to address how we react to and how we are influenced by visual processes in our research projects. Questions about agency, subjectivity, selection, ambiguity, representation, authenticity, perception, and research design were discussed on examples of the group members’ research materials. The discussions resulted in a joint publication in the Open Journal of the GCSC “On_Culture”.
While the topic of the winter semester was defined by the investigation of “Research as Art,” our discussions in the summer term concentrated on “Art as Research.” We initially organised artistic contributions to the GCSC Graduate Conference “For What it’s Worth – Nostalgia, Sustainability and the Values of the Present.” These contributions were staged as means of research equivalent to the academic paper presentations of the conference. Furthermore, we called for GCSC members to submit visual material from their own research processes and discussed these contributions in terms of visual and artistic methods. On the basis of these two projects, we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the approach of “Art as Research” as well as the legitimacy of consciously applying visual methodologies in sociological, historical, or literary research projects.

 

Active Participants: Katja Wehde (Speaker), Andressa Schröder, Ronja Trischler, Dr. Alesya Krit, Mara-Lisa Kinne, Raul Gschrey, Laura Lizarazo

 

 

2014 - 2015

Years's topic: Exhibition practices and their link to Visual and Material Culture

  • Collaboration with Working Group Museum Culture in Excursion to Berlin on "Participation in the Museum", August 18th – 22nd, 2015.

  • Collaboration with RA 7 in Workshop on Sensorial Encounters and Visualisations of Space, May 29th – 30th, 2015.
  • Workshop/ Conference "Mediated Objects. Das unbedingte Objekt? Von der Mittelbarkeit und Mitteilbarkeit des Materiellen." November 27th - 29th 2014.
  • Workshop on how to curate an exhibition.

 

2013 – 2014

Year’s topic: Presence and Absence in Objects and Images

  • Discussion on the problem that comes up for the researcher while looking at past events through the visual and material, for there lies a duality of presence and absence within these images and objects: they exist inwardly for themselves and at the same time they point towards something that is missing.
  •  Exhibition “Techniques of Remembering & Forgetting/ Techniken des Erinnerns & Vergessens” at the exhibition space of the University Library, Justus Liebig University Gießen, June 25th – July 27th 2014. In collaboration with Research Area 1. [More information here.]
  • Visit by Dr. Gabrielle Hezekiah, Department of Literary, Cultural and Communication Studies, University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago.
  • Curating Culture: How to Communicate „The Whole Earth“. Lecture and open forum with Anselm Franke and Fred Turner.
  • Lecture and Master Class with Prof. Paolo Favero (University of Antwerp): Presence of Absence – Meaning of Images in the Digital Age.

 

2012 – 2013

Year’s topic: Object Studies und Visuality as well as Materialty of Memory

  • Planning of the exhibition project „Techniques of Remembering and Forgetting“ in collaboration with Research Area 1 Cultural Memory Studies.
  • Discussion about the influence of Visuality and Materialty on the creation and reception of cultural and political events.
  • Workshop „Sprechen über Dinge – Talking about Things with Things“.
  • Reading session on photography.

 

2011 – 2012

Year’s topic: Visuality, Semiotics and Concepts of Images

  • Workshop „Drucktechniken vor 1600“ of the Graduate Centre Transnationale Medienereignisse in collaboration with RA 4.
  • Discussion about semiotic analysis of archaeological ruins.
  • Debate on the terms Iconography, Iconology and Iconic.
  • Workshop with Dr. Johanna Scherb (Art History, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen): „Das Bild als Quelle und Gegenstand kulturwissenschaftlicher Forschung“ in collaboration with RA 4.
  • Lecture by PD Dr. Peter Schmidt (Art History, Universität Heidelberg): „Medium und Farbe. Die Anfänge der Druckgraphik zwischen ‚schwarzer Kunst‘ und bunten Blättern“.

 

2010 – 2011

Year’s topic: Material Culture and Materialty

  • Debate on images in Archaeology and on the Archaeology of Images (Archäologie der Bilder).
  • Discussion about the relation between Original, Copy and Citation.
  • Lecture by Prof Dr. Lisa Gotto (Filmhistory/ Filmanalysis, Internationale Filmhochschule Köln): „Weiß werden. Zur Kinematographie des Schnee-Bilds“.

 

2009 – 2010

Year’s topic: Evidence

  • Discussion about different texts by Mieke Bal, amongst others Travelling concepts in the humanities: a rough guide (2002) and Kulturanalyse (2002).
  • Discussion about the topic Intermediality.
  • GCSC-Conference „Travelling Concepts“.
  • Discussion about the creation of cultural identity and memory.
  • Analysis of mediality in medieval times using the example of reliquaries and seals.

 

2008 – 2009

Year’s topic: Concepts of Space and Limit

  • Discussion on the concept of Space with PD Dr. Ursula Brunotte (religious studies) and Prof. Dr. Andreas Dix (Historical Geography, Universität Bamberg).
  • Lecture by Dr. Karin Leonhard (Art History, Universität Eichstätt): „Irreversibel: Die Dynamisierung des Raumes im 17. Jahrhundert“.

 

2007 – 2008

Year’s topic: Turns within Cultural Studies and Humanities

  • Discussion on the turns ( e.g. iconic turn, cultural turn) within Cultural Studies, Humanities as well as in different disciplines.
  • Questions on language and images, on the logic of images, Schriftbildlichkeit and on the mediality of the visual.
  • Images as proof and as a way of creating authenticity (focus on photography).
  • Difficulty of transculturality; lecture by Prof. Dr. Birgit Mersmann (Art History, Jacobs University Bremen) on Asian Blickkulturen.