From the first physiological experiments in the mid-19th century to the beginning of empirical emotion research, photographed feelings are explored right up to more recent research on AI. While photography with its evidential power serves science as a documentation medium for a better understanding of feelings, the broad spectrum of photographic representation possibilities in art is also used to appeal to its counterpart via the communicative function of feelings.
Geraldine Spiekermann studied art history at Ruhr-Universität Bochum and completed her doctorate at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in 2012 on the subject of tears in modern art. She is a research assistant at the Institute for Arts and Media at the University of Potsdam and lives in Berlin.
Symposium 2025
Another State of Mind: What we Feel - What we See - What we Do.
Symposium of the International Photoszene Cologne in cooperation with the Academy of Media Arts Cologne on the exhibition “Feelings & Photography” & “To Dwell in the Same Time and Space” as part of the Photoszene Festival Cologne
May 16, 2025, 3-6 p.m.
May 17, 2025, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Academy of Media Arts, Cologne
Filzengraben 4, 50676 Cologne
What insights does photography provide about people's feelings? How can feelings be captured photographically - or created visually? Together with invited international artists, scientists, curators and teachers, we will reflect on the power of emotions in and from images. What are their potentials and dangers? On Friday, the focus will be on the creation of emotions in the digital and generative image world. In addition to current scientific lectures on the expression of emotions in photography, curators will speak on Saturday about their experiences in dealing with emotions and exhibition practice. KHM students will discuss emotions as a catalyst for artistic practice in times of multiple crises with speakers they have invited.
Speakers (as of 12.03.2025):
- Dr. Thomas Spies (Media scientist and media artist)
- Dr. Roland Meyer (Digital cultures and arts, Universität Zürich)
- Stefanie Schröder (Artist, Leipzig)
- Dr. Geraldine Spiekermann (Art Historian, Universität Potsdam),
- Nadine Isabelle Henrich (Curator Haus der Photographie, Deichtorhallen, Hamburg) in conversation with Roxana Rios (Artist, Leipzig)
- Dr. Sophie-Charlotte Opitz (Curator, Bucerius Kunstforum, Hamburg) in conversation with Yuki Furisawa (Artist, Subame-City, Niigata, Japan) and Bokeum Lee (Artist, Dortmund)
- Christin Müller (Curator, Leipzig)
- Emily Winkelsträter & Paulina Akbay (Studierende, KHM Köln) in conversation with Maria Hlavajova (Art Historian, Utrecht) und Cihan Çakmak (Artist, Berlin)
Dr. Anne Potjans (Literaturwissenschaftlerin, HU Berlin) in conversation with Rebecca Racine Ramershoven (Artist, Köln)
Program:
Friday, 16.05.2025
15:00 - 15:40
Dr. Thomas Spies
Shooting, Pictures: Aesthetics and Practices of Virtual Photography
15:45 - 16:15
Dr. Roland Meyer
“Real emotions”. Generative AI, synthetic visual worlds and right-wing affect management
16:15 - 16:45
Coffee break
16.45 - 17:45
Stefanie Schroeder
An insecure bank
Saturday, 17.05.2025
10:00 - 10:40
Dr. Geraldine Spiekermann
Photographed feelings.
11:00 - 11:40
Dr. Sophie-Charlotte Opitz, Yuki Furusawa, Bokeum Lee and Jan Borreck
Sensitive to light - On photography, emotion and memory
13:00 - 13:40
Rebecca Racine Ramershoven and Dr. Anne Potjans
Unapologetically feeling: Black feminist perspectives on the oppression and power of feelings
14:00 - 14.40
KHM students: Emily Winkelsträter and Paulina Akbay, guests: Maria Hlavajova, Chan Çakmak
“Hard feelings only: Artistic practice and cultural work in the current political climate”
15:00 - 15:50
Christin Müller
When emotions manifest themselves in photographic material
16:00 - 16:45
Nadine Isabelle Henrich and Roxana Rios
States-Of-Rebirth
Moderation:
Jan Borreck (Curator, Internationale Photoszene Köln) and Andreas Langfeld (Research Associate, Academy of Media Arts, Cologne)
The symposium is free of charge and will be held partly in German and partly in English. We offer simultaneous translation German-English on spot.
We are happy about supporting donations!
Binding registration for the symposium for detailed planning on site is requested by email to: anmeldung@photoszene.de
The two-day symposium takes place at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne with the kind support of VG Bild-Kunst / Stiftung Kulturwerk.