Article

Digital Colonialism

in Visual Culture

Today’s digital colonialism creates value on the basis of historical exploitation. Besides deriving profit from data, the creation of digital infrastructures also involves mining raw materials and asserting mastery over nature, the effect of which is to accentuate injustice. Images play a key role in this, albeit an ambiguous one.

By Katrin Köppert

Article

In the Infinite Loop

Social networking services cost nothing at first sight. However, they trade on our clicks, likes and shares: in a word, on our attention. How can we avoid being sucked in? A conversation with Safa Ghnaim from Tactical Tech.

By Giulia Bernardi

Workshop

What the Fake!?

ages 12–20 / 90 min.

We often consume news online and information circulates at a frantic pace on social media – including hoaxes. Photographs play a key role here. How can we identify manipulated image content? The workshop focuses on tips to help you develop a critical eye for images in the context of fake news.

Teaching Material

SELF-PRESENTATION

SECONDARY LEVELS I AND II / AGES 12+

How does self-presentation manifest online? How does it relate not only to stereotypes, ideals and power but also to algorithms? Comprehensive teaching material including extensive preparation material for teachers, background information, videos and worksheets that can be worked on digitally or printed out. Download now for free!

Article

Visual Fakes in the Digital Realm

Images and videos are important tools for disseminating fake news – and this is by no means a recent phenomenon dating back just a few years. Unfortunately, although most fakes are produced at low cost, they are nonetheless effective.

By Karolin Schwarz

Article

BYE, BYE NORMS, HELLO EMPOWERMENT!

Norms and stereotypes play a delimiting role yet can be found everywhere. Even in the realm of digital self-presentation. When people who break the norms gain visibility, what effect does this have? An insightful look at the discussion on self-enactment and empowerment.

By Maria Rutschke

Teaching Material

BIG TECH, IMAGES & DIGITAL (DREAM) JOBS

SECONDARY LEVELS I AND II / AGES 15+

Is being a content creator a job? Who keeps our social media feed ‘clean’? Comprehensive teaching material including extensive preparation material for teachers, background information, videos and worksheets that can be worked on digitally or printed out. Download now for free!

Workshop

The Internet in Your Hand

Ages 15–20 / 90 min. / in your classroom

Images that we share and consume online are a great deal more than just immaterial data in the cloud. Looking at the way social platforms work, we can see that images draw us in and are a marketable commodity – they are also a source of CO₂ emissions. The workshop provides critical insights into the material structure of the internet and encourages people to be creative in how they use images online.

Event

Visual Protest on the Web

WITH ULLA AUTENRIETH, DANIELA BRUGGER UND NOHA MOKHTAR

This panel discusses visual protest cultures on social media and how such protests are an important form of communication for young people.

Workshop

Tracking My Data

ages 12–20 / 90 Min.

The moment we start surfing online, our data is collected, stored and processed. When we interact with digital images, what kind of data trail do we leave and what is it used for? The students discover new options to allow them to use the internet autonomously, creatively and more securely.

Workshop

Copy & Pose

ages 12–20 / 90 Min.

The realm of social media is a playground for self-presentation. How do images of influencers affect our self-image and the way we see things? And what kinds of opportunities does media (self )enactment hold out? Using examples from art, pop culture and everyday life, students acquire strategies for dealing critically with the images they encounter on the internet.

Teaching Material

Facial Recognition

secondary levels I and II / ages 12+

What can machines read in our faces and what is this information used for? Comprehensive teaching material including extensive preparation material for teachers, background information, videos and worksheets that can be worked on digitally or printed out. Download now for free!

Article

Beauty Filters

When Beauty Is Standardised

With just a few clicks you can fundamentally change your appearance on social media and elsewhere – using beauty filters. The filters that are used operate according to very strict patterns. Does this produce standardised ideals of beauty? And what does all this have to do with privacy?

By Sophie-Charlotte Opitz

Article

Facial Recognition

Technology between Support and Suppression

Facial recognition is a procedure that can help in the (timely) detection and solving of crimes, identity verification and various forms of surveillance. Why are cameras used to automatically capture pictures of people’s faces, what are these images then used for and what does this mean in terms of data protection?

By Sophie-Charlotte Opitz and Jana Honegger