The Political Ontology of Photography: Power, Representation and Resistance

Ana de Almeida
Institute of Studies in Art and Art Education, Transcultural Studies
2025S, scientific seminar (SEW), 4.0 ECTS, 2.0 semester hours, course number S05584

Description

This seminar explores the political dimensions of photography, examining how the medium operates as a space for civil encounter, a site of power, and a form of resistance. Photography, since its inception, shaped public perceptions of reality, mediated collective memory, and served as a battleground for ideological struggles whilst always resisting a total integration into the paradigm of the discourse of visual arts. Through critical readings, visual analysis, and interdisciplinary discussions, we will interrogate the ontological foundations of photography and its implications for – in Arendtian terms – political life.

Key themes include the politics of visibility and invisibility, the ethics of witnessing, counter-archival practices and the role of photography in documenting social movements and state violence. The seminar will draw on theories from political philosophy, media studies, and art history, engaging with thinkers such as Susan Sontag, Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, Tina M. Campt, Saidiya Hartman, Jacques Rancière, Hannah Arendt and Walter Benjamin.

Students will critically analyze historical and contemporary photographic practices, exploring case studies ranging from colonial archives and war photography to activist imagery and social media. Through these inquiries, the seminar aims to uncover the ways in which photography constructs, contests, and disrupts political realities.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Develop a critical understanding of the ontological and political stakes of photography.
  2. Analyze the relationship between photographic representation and power structures.
  3. Engage with theoretical frameworks to evaluate the ethical and political implications of photographic practices.
  4. Investigate the role of photography in shaping collective identities and historical narratives.

Examination Modalities

Format and Assessment:

The seminar includes weekly readings, group discussions, and visual analyses. Assessment will be based on participation, introducing one text to the reading group, short written responses to photographic case studies, and a final research paper or creative project connecting theory with photographic practice.

Comments

The texts and teaching input will be presented in English. The discussion and papers can be in both English and German.

Key Words

theory, visual culture, cultural studies, critical studies, critical epistemologies, photography

Dates

03 March 2025, 16:00–17:30 Seminar Room 26
17 March 2025, 16:00–19:00 Seminar Room 20
24 March 2025, 16:00–19:00 Seminar Room 20
31 March 2025, 16:00–19:00 Seminar Room 8
07 April 2025, 16:00–19:00 Seminar Room 20
28 April 2025, 16:00–19:00 Seminar Room 8
05 May 2025, 16:00–19:00 Seminar Room 20
02 June 2025, 16:00–19:00 Seminar Room 20

Course Enrolment

From 03 February 2025, 00:00 to 05 March 2025, 15:06
Via online registration

Art Education: subject kkp (Bachelor): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 067/003.80

Art Education: subject kkp (Master): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: Lehrveranstaltung nach Wahl aus wissenschaftlicher Praxis, SE 067/003.80

Art Education: subject kkp (Enhancements study): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Seminar aus dem Bereich Kunst- und Kulturwissenschaften 067/003.25

Art Education: subject kkp (Enhancements study): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 067/003.80

Art Education: subject tex (Master): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: Lehrveranstaltung nach Wahl aus wissenschaftlicher Praxis, SE 071/003.80

Art Education: subject dae (Master): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: Lehrveranstaltung nach Wahl aus wissenschaftlicher Praxis, SE 072/003.80

Art Education: subject dex (Bachelor): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 074/003.80

Art Education: subject dex (Master): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: Lehrveranstaltung nach Wahl aus wissenschaftlicher Praxis, SE 074/003.80

Art Education: subject dex (Enhancements study): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Seminar aus dem Bereich Kunst- und Kulturwissenschaften 074/003.25

Art Education: subject dex (Enhancements study): Wissenschaftliche Praxis: FOR: Lehrveranstaltungen nach Wahl aus Wissenschaftliche Praxis 074/003.80

Transformation Studies. Art x Science (Bachelor): Focus! Transformation Areas: Cultural Transformation 162/040.40

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Expanded Museum Studies (Master): Electives: Transcultural Studies 537/080.16

Stage Design (2. Section): Kunsttheorie und Kulturwissenschaften: Transkulturelle Studien 542/207.10

Media Arts: Specialisation in Transmedia Arts (2. Section): Wissenschaft, Theorie und Geschichte : Kulturwissenschaften 566/208.15

Media Arts: Specialisation in Digital Arts (2. Section): Wissenschaft, Theorie, Geschichte: Kulturwissenschaften 567/208.15

Kunst- und Kulturwissenschaften (Master): Electives Area 1: Transcultural Studies 568/005.09

Kunst- und Kulturwissenschaften (Master): Electives Area 2: Transcultural Studies 568/006.09

Cross-Disciplinary Strategies (Master): Study Areas 4-6: Study Area 6: Transcultural Studies 569/022.06

Design: Specialisation in Design and Narrative Media (2. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Fundamentals: Humanities 576/203.02

Design: Specialisation in Communication Design (2. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Basics: Humanities 577/203.02

Conservation and Restoration (2. Section): Geisteswissenschaften: Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte 588/204.10

Fine Arts (2. Section): Scientific and Research Practice: Free Electives out of Scientific and Research Practice 605/202.80

Design: Specialisation in Applied Photography and Time-based Media (2. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Basics: Humanities 626/203.02

Cross-Disciplinary Strategies (Bachelor): Economy and Politics: Deepening / Application 700/004.20

Cross-Disciplinary Strategies (Bachelor): Economy and Politics: Deepening / Application: Transcultural Studies 700/004.24

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Attending individual courses: possible