Photography and Witnessing

(3 Credits)

What does it take to be a witness rather than look at events passively, without feeling compelled to respond? What are the ethical, political, cultural, legal and personal stakes in witnessing? Can photographic images turn us into witnesses and motivate us to respond to what we see, or do we have to witness an event personally to be moved to act? This seminar uses contemporary Berlin as a case study for how images are used (in memorials, museums and public life) to confront viewers with pictures so that they take responsibility for a shared but often contested future. Through the creation of image-based projects in small, rotating teams, students learn how images can either document or distort the past, compel us to action or numb us, and either be tools or obstacles for individuals or groups to be socially and politically recognized. Readings include key texts from the history and theory of photography, some texts on the political and social use of images, as well as important critical responses to iconic images.