Photography’s modern day quest was the reason for the research group Image in Context to start up a centre of expertise in which the insights ofphotographers and artists concerning this problematic status of photography can be brought together and studied. This centre of expertise PRICCAPractice (PhotographicResearch in Cross-disciplinary and Cross-cultural Artistic Practices) conducts researchinto the way in which professional photography is reinventing itself. It is aimed at theartistic research practices of artists, designers and photographers into the status ofphotography in our society. The focus lies on newly developed methods concerningphotography as part of an interdisciplinary artistic (and critical) research practice;photography as a means of research to make reality visible again. For this reason it makes sense that photography should allow itself to be nourished and inspired by other reality seeking disciplines, such as sociology and anthropology. Based on her interest in processes which are socially meaningful, photography moreover connects itself with fields of study such as semiotics, cultural studies, art theory and philosophy. And in her forms of expression she learns from literature, theatre, and journalism as forms of representation. In other words, the centre of expertise researches how dimensions of reality in photography are made into problems in images which are not merely representations, but also a commentary on photography itself and which explore the narrative and communicative possibilities and limitations of the photographic image at the same time. We are looking for artistic research practices in which a new, authentic relationship between the photographic image and reality will be researched.In this paper I would like to present a few of these practices.
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For the past decade I have, as an artist/researcher, investigated the uses of photographic pictures in East African country Uganda. The relation between photographic pictures and memory have been well researched and argued. But this is often done from a rather one sided Eurocentric perspective on photographic pictures. Over the past decades its universality has been questioned.A rather hybrid artistic practice, in which my role shifts from maker to curator to analyst and back again, provides the method to enter correspondences [Ingold, 2012] on (photographic) pictures with their Ugandan makers and users. Together we explore the continuously changing situated knowledge [harraway, 1988] embedded in photographic pictures in Uganda.One of the case studies in my PhD research is the cultural biography of one of the first photographs made in the kingdom of Buganda. Explorer Henry Morton Stanley produced it in 1875. Three vintage prints of this picture, depicting the Kabaka (King) and some of his chiefs are part of a collection of material related to the colonial past of Belgium. The photograph was hardly known in Uganda when I started showing it around. Interpretations of it were known, but not connected to their source. Together with Ugandan artists I explored and commented on the past that was, is and could remembered through the availability of the photograph and both its historical and newly made interpretations. Visuals and spoken word have equal weight and are woven into an argument in the proposed presentation.
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African photography has emerged as a significant focus of research and scholarship over the last twenty years, the result of a growing interest in postcolonial societies and cultures and a turn towards visual evidence across the humanities and social sciences. At the same time, many rich and fascinating photographic collections have come to light. This volume explores the complex theoretical and practical issues involved in the study of African photographic archives, based on case studies drawn from across the continent dating from the 19th century to the present day. Chapters consider what constitutes an archive, from the familiar mission and state archives to more local, vernacular and personal accumulations of photographs; the importance of a critical and reflexive engagement with photographic collections; and the question of where and what is 'Africa', as constructed in the photographic archive. Essential reading for all researchers working with photographic archives, this book consolidates current thinking on the topic and sets the agenda for future research in this field.
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A reflection on the impact of Paul Julien's photographs in the form of a letter to him, part of the larger investigation into his legacy.
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Ebifananyi at The Uganda Museum, an exhibition relating to my doctoral research, following up on an earlier exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium and in Kampala part of KLAART18, a ‘public art festival which celebrates public art for and in the city’. The visitors of the show in Antwerp were welcomed with a letter from co-curators of the exhibition Bas Vroege and Joachim Naudts. Here they were welcomed by me: Dear Visitor,You are most welcome to a temporary exhibition about photographs. ‘Ebifananyi’, the Luganda word that is used to signify photographs as well as other likenesses, gives you the opportunity to see a variety of historical photographs made in Uganda. It also invites you to reflect on what you see.In 2011 Canon Griffin and I set up History In Progress Uganda, a platform that digitizes and shares historical photographs. With the help of numerous Ugandan photographers, history enthusiasts and artists I produced eight books with the same title of the exhibition. Each book presents a collection of historical photographs and contemporary responses to it. Last year an exhibition took place in FoMu, the photo museum in Antwerp, Belgium. It presented the content of these books to the Belgian audience. The conditions of this museum cannot be reproduced in Uganda.We here present to you both two- and three dimensional documentation of that show. Photographs are always made from a particular viewpoint and the way they look depends on the technology that was available to the photographer.It is not unusual for photographs to show what someone wants someone else to see rather than to be neutral documentation. They can be used as tools of identification and to estrange people from each other. It is my hope that the photographs that were added to the permanent museum display will make you wonder, cause recognition, show beauty and give you a valuable experience,Andrea Stultiens[See]
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Many of today’s challenges that confront society are complex and dynamic and require new perspectives, new ways of looking at problems and issues, in order to be able to come to solutions that could not be found before. This process is called reframing and we suggest that one of the key stages in this process is thematic research, the search for themes that underlie these complex challenges. These themes generally turn out to be human themes, related to socio-emotional aspects of life. In this paper we report our experiences and lessons learned from a series of cases in which we experimented with various approaches to do this thematic research.
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‘Staying Alive’ is the title of an exhibition and of the 7th book in the Ebifananyi series and two exhibitions. One of the exhibitions took place at Afriart Gallery, the other one on the balcony of the new six story inpatient building of the Uganda Cancer Institute. Books and exhibitions present photographic documentation from the late 1960s and early 1970s and from more recent pasts, and reflections in words on the photographs and the history of the institute by Marissa Mika and I.The Uganda Cancer Institute was the first major cancer research and treatment facility in the Great Lakes region. It celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. While part of the reputation of the institute was/is that it is a place where people (are sent to) die, the aim is of course to keep them alive and develop knowledge about the disease that caught them.
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Background: Acquiring the theoretical and practical knowhow of conducting patient and public involvement (PPI) in research is not part of the traditional curriculum of researchers. Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and Huis voor de Zorg, a regional umbrella patient organization, therefore started a 1.5-year coaching programme. Objective: To establish a community of practice by developing a PPI coaching programme for senior and junior health services researchers of Zuyd University. The context consisted of research projects conducted by the participants. Methods: A participatory action research methodology. Data were collected from reports of thematic group meetings and individual sessions with participants, field notes and regular reflection meetings with the project team. Data were analysed by reflexive deliberation. Findings: The programme comprised a kick-off meeting (52 attendees), followed by 7 group meetings with 11 junior and 9 senior researchers. The project team constructed a serious game based on the concept of the participation ladder. Questions and concerns differed for junior and senior researchers, and separate tailored meetings were organized for both groups. Between group meetings, participants received individual assignments. Group meetings were accompanied by individual coaching sessions to provide tailor-made feedback. The programme concluded with a combined meeting with all stakeholders. Conclusion: Building a community of PPI practice through action research facilitates the development of a coaching programme that fosters social learning, empowerment and the development of a shared identity concerning PPI. The role and responsibilities of senior researchers should be distinguished from those of junior researchers.
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Exhibition of Work In Progress outcomes of elective course 'Mythbusters, Unfixing Histories, World Press Photo'. The course is part of the project Unfixing Histories, which is related to my PhD research, but takes the gesture of investigating histories in and with photographs as part of artistic practices to other contexts. In this case students investigate in different ways one World Press Photo winner of their choice. Final results will be presented during "Unfixing Histoires" at Platform Minerva, March/April 2018. This exhibition is part of the World Press Photo Groningen exhibition in the Synagogue in Groningen.
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Academic design research often fails to contribute to design practice. This dissertation explores how design research collaborations can provide knowledge that design professionals will use in practice. The research shows that design professionals are not addressed as an important audience between the many audiences of collaborative research projects. The research provides insight in the learning process by design professionals in design research collaborations and it identifies opportunities for even more learning. It shows that design professionals can learn about more than designing, but also about application domains or project organization.
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