Lecture by Verena Straub at the conference "AN, IN, MIT. Möglichkeiten fotografischer Kritik" on 05.12.

On December 5, our colleague Verena Straub will give a lecture at the conference "AN, IN, MIT. Possibilities of Photographic Critique" of the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities Essen (KWI), our colleague Verena Straub will give a lecture on the critical potential of memes. Title of the lecture: "Angreifen, Umdeuten, Remixen. Zu den kritischen Bildtaktiken von Memes" (Attacking, reinterpreting, remixing. On the critical image tactics of memes).

The conference will focus on the question of criticism expressed "in, on and with" photographs: "Although criticism is originally a linguistic ability, images and especially photographs are generally also considered to have the ability to articulate criticism. Thus, not only is criticism of images practiced, but critical potential is also recognized in photographs or a critical message is expressed with them. At the center of the event are questions about the theoretical, historical and practical implications that go hand in hand with the transfer of a linguistic-logical ability aimed at creating conceptual unambiguity into the genuinely ambiguous and affective realm of images." (Short description of the conference organized by Jakob Schnetz, Lukas Schepers and Peter Liedtke).

In this context, Verena Straub brings the image practices of political memes into play, which represent a special form of image criticism due to their remix culture and openness to interpretation.

In the evening, there will also be a panel discussion on the topic of "Fotografische Kritik an Extraktivismen im Grenzbereich zwischen Journalismus, Aktivismus und Kunst" (Photographic criticism of extractivisms in the border area between journalism, activism and art; 6:30-8pm), at which Verena Straub will also speak.

The conference is a cooperation between the Pixelprojekt Ruhrgebiet and the Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen (KWI) and will take place on 05.12.2024 in the Gartensaal of the KWI in Essen, as well as online via Zoom.

For more information and the program, please visit the KWI website. [Link: https://www.kulturwissenschaften.de/veranstaltung/tagung-fotografische-kritik/]

The event is free of charge. To register, please contact Marion Fiekens: (until 22.11.).