As one of the most divisive challenges of our
present, MIGRATION is closely tied to processes of MEDIATION: just as the movements
of migrants and refugees are structured by mental and material images, maps and
cell phone apps (as well as “low-tech” media like talismans to jam border
surveillance or hot metal screws to cauterize fingerprints), nation states rely
on forensic technologies, biometric or drone imaging and predictive algorithms for
channeling the “alien.” As a result, issues of in/visibility and representation
have become central to past and present debates about migration.
Beyond a mere technological or functional itemization, the course will focus on research projects and artistic interventions that explore the manifold relations between migration and media, their underlying notions of politics and human existence as well as their limits and inherent exclusions. Through numerous examples (photography, documentary film, virtual reality, video & installation art) and a wide array of theoretical approaches, we will address “media of migration” with regard to their historical development, cultural impact, political significance, and artistic force.
Beyond a mere technological or functional itemization, the course will focus on research projects and artistic interventions that explore the manifold relations between migration and media, their underlying notions of politics and human existence as well as their limits and inherent exclusions. Through numerous examples (photography, documentary film, virtual reality, video & installation art) and a wide array of theoretical approaches, we will address “media of migration” with regard to their historical development, cultural impact, political significance, and artistic force.
- Instructor: Ulrich Meurer