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The Visual Anthropology Network of the EASA, held a one-day seminar in
Oxford during the 9th RAI Film Festival.
The seminar consisted of a series of 8 papers presented to discuss
work developed at different areas of the frontiers of visual anthropology. These papers, along with an introduction and after word, will form
the basis for a publication, which has been submitted as a proposal for a
special issue of Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute.
The seminar addressed four themes:
1. Challenges from within
The challenge of developments in anthropological theory and practice to the
existing principles of visual anthropology: critical discussions of examples of
how visual anthropology might be both challenged or enriched by recent
developments in areas of theory and practice including medical anthropology,
anthropology of the senses, the work of indigenous anthropological filmmakers,
and collaborative methods in research and representation.
2. Challenges and innovations at the edge
To examine projects that connect visual anthropology and other disciplines to
develop new methodologies, and approaches. This might include 1) critical
comment on interdisciplinary borrowings and appropriations of visual
anthropology that challenge its position 2) discussions of what makes visual
anthropology distinctive in a context where it shares interests with other
disciplines such as media and cultural studies, and 3) discussions of
collaborative work that involves visual anthropologists and others (such as
artists, performers) working together at the boundaries of both their
disciplines.
3. External Engagements
An exploration of how visual anthropological work has informed and been
informed by questions from ‘beyond’ academia – for instance in applied projects
or in critical engagements with broader social and political issues: This might
include applied visual anthropological projects in a range of areas that include
public sector, NGO, or business as well as social interventions initiated by
local communities in connection with anthropological work (such as health
research, design anthropology and consumer ethnography, development
communications, post-conflict work, migration studies), and work that discusses
activist films that render visible exploitation.
4. The role of visual anthropology in a public anthropology in the twenty
first century
Papers that respond to this theme should consider how visual anthropology can
contribute to public anthropology. For example this might mean addressing
questions like: To what extent does ethnographic documentary film still play a
role?; What effects will the increasing use of mixed genres in filmmaking have
on documentary and anthropology?; Is there a role for visual anthropologists in
analysing and responding to public media texts?; What is the role of
anthropology in producing public art.
This event was organised by Glenn Bowman, Felicia Hughes-Freeland, Cristina Grasseni and Sarah Pink of the Visual Anthropology Network of the EASA.
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