Taksim, Tahrir, Occupy & Co Session 2: Visuality and Urban Space

Kentsel mekan, toplum, uluslararası politika arasındaki ilişkiye odaklanan etkinlik serisinin ikincisi Görsellik ve Kentsel Mekan başlığıyla 26 Kasım'da Berlin'de düzenleniyor.

This second event will concentrate on specific ways of political articulation, particularly regarding the visualization of urban spaces during civil resistance incidents and protests. After all, protest movements in everyday urban spaces are directly visualized through photographs, video clips and artwork (protest logos, street art etc.) that is usually produced by the demonstrators. The digital sharing of these visuals on social media ‘virtualizes’ and instantly ‘internationalizes’ these spaces. Consequently, the protests in Egypt, Istanbul or Hong Kong are not only visible but also accessible for everyone everywhere. Thus, we have protest communities on the ground and growing digital communities that not only facilitate the immediate production and transportation of news (in form of visual imagery and others) from distant places to our home and to our national governments but also lay the ground for interaction among protesters and between protesters and non-protesters. Further questions: Is it possible to identify spatial characteristics that provide spaces with the potential to transform from ‘everyday’ to ‘icon of international politics’? How does the distribution of these visual representations in social media influence the style of protests and demonstrations? And to what extent does the visualization of protest movements affect the discussion on the control of digital information?

PROGRAMME

Welcome

• Hans-Jürgen Commerell, Director, ANCB The Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory, Berlin
• Christoph Geisler, Deputy Director, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Berlin

Introduction

• Dr. Nadine Godehardt, Deputy Head of Research Division Asia, SWP, Berlin

Presentations

• Dan Garrett, PhD candidate, City University of Hong Kong, political scientist, visual sociologist and former career US national security professional
• Prof. Peter Mörtenböck, Professor for Visual Culture, Goldsmiths College, London
• Dr. David Shim, Assistant Proforessor, Department of International Relations and International Organization, University of Groningen
• Maurice Weiss, Photographer, Ostkreuz Agentur der Fotografen, Berlin

Panel Discussion

• moderated by Dr. Andrea Despot, Deputy Head of the European Academy, Berlin
• The following Front-Row Peers will accompany and further the discussion:
• Dr. Muriel Asseburg, SWP, Berlin
• Christopher de la Garza, Corporate Designer, Hemispheres Graphic Novel, Potsdam
• Dr. Rune Saugmann, University of Tampere
• Roman Wilhelm, Graphic Designer, Berlin

Video Screening: Hemispheres Graphic Novel, Potsdam

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Incidents on everyday urban spaces increasingly raise global attention. Civil resistance and protest movements frequently occupy public squares, financial and governmental districts or central city parks. People demonstrate against their national governments or join into spontaneously organized protests in support of (inter-)national issues. Images of demonstrations on Tahrir Square in Egypt (2011), Taksim Square in Turkey (2013), the Maidan in Ukraine (2013-4), of Occupy Wall Street (2011), the Sunflower-Movement in Taipei (2014), the Umbrella-Revolution in Hong Kong (2014) or the Pegida-Movement in Dresden (2015) strongly influence the global understanding of specific (inter-)national actors and crises situations. Everyday urban places are in the process of becoming icons of international politics that are interpreted very differently depending on the chosen viewpoint (European, Russian, Chinese, Media, Politics, etc.). They reveal new forms of political articulation that underscore the intertwining of everyday and international politics.

In a series of debates, participants from various backgrounds will discuss the interdependency of urban space, society, security, (inter-)national politics and the economy – focussing on the visualization and new political meanings of urban space that go along with political protests and demonstrations.

The event will be in English. Admission is free upon registration at reply@ancb.de.