Capitalism and visual culture

Lea Vene
Design, Applied Photography and Time-Based Media
2026S, Lecture with Practical Exercises (VU), 2.0 ECTS, 2.0 semester hours, course number S05928

Gender/diversity/queer-specific

Description

The course will explore how capitalism’s violence affects the contemporary
visual regimes. Together we will discuss neoliberal politics and different ways
it redefines and reshapes the production, dissemination and the definition of
image based practices today. The course will address the excess of
communication in the capitalist system and its extractivist agenda. Through
the course we will uncover different feminist, decolonial and anticapitalist
strategies that enable artists to reinterpret, manipulate and subvert the image
production and circulation in the capitalist realm. Within this course, students
will encounter the work of theorists such as Mark Fisher, Hito Steyerl, Legacy
Russell, Omar Kholeif, Shumon Basar, Jodi Dean, T J Demos, David Harvey
and artists such as Trevor Paglen, Anna Franceschini, Josephine Pryde,
Amalia Ulman, Metahaven, Meriem Bennani, Bernadettę Corporation, DIS
magazine among others.


Capitalism and visual culture will be held as a blocked course.


Course dates:


26/3 (10:00-17:00, incl. one hour lunch break)    
28/4 (10:00-17:00, incl. one hour lunch break)    
21-22/5 (10:00-16:00, incl. one hour lunch break)

Examination Modalities

Oral exam or essay

Key Words

visual culture, capitalism, feminism, decolonial practice

Course Enrolment

From 02 February 2026, 09:00 to 28 February 2026, 09:01
Via online registration

Cross-Disciplinary Strategies (Master): Study Areas 1-3: Study Area 3: Economics and Politics 569/020.30

Design: Specialisation in Applied Photography and Time-based Media (1. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Basics: Media Theory and Communication Theory 626/103.05

Design: Specialisation in Applied Photography and Time-based Media (1. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Basics: Theories and History of Applied Photography and Time-based Media 626/103.08

Design: Specialisation in Applied Photography and Time-based Media (2. Section): Methodological and Theoretical Basics: Theories and History of Applied Photography and Time-based Media 626/203.06

Co-registration: possible

Attending individual courses: possible