We constantly interact with and through images of different kinds and for different purposes. We use images to communicate, to be informed or just for fun. Some people use images to be in contact with the sacred world, others to explore the secrets of natural life. Images are part of our day-to-day life, and we establish multiple relationships with them. Images have an ethical stance too: some images are considered honest, other deceptive or definitely false. Images may be used for harnessing someone or for showing gratitude and respect.
Anthropology of images analyses how we relate with and through images. Yet, how to do so?
We consider that images need to be studied by using visual means and visual strategies, ranging from ethnographic cinema to AI, drawing, performance, participatory photography, digital methods or even VR.
In this panel we seek for contributions that fill the gap between theory and practice in visual and Multimodal Anthropology by addressing the question of what is an image (be it “true”, ” false”, “deceptive” or “trustworthy) and pursuing it through visual and experimental methods.
We are open to researches that deals with any of the areas mentioned above (religion, science, art or documentary images, to name just a few).
An important concept is the one of “visual trust”. Why do people trust some images for knowing and communicating and not others? That is, how can we, as anthropologists study the relationships of (mis)trust that we establish with images? How can this be studied through visual methodologies?
