BORDER IMAGES - IMAGE BORDERS

Borders are a hot topic. They are highly controversial and much debated. We constantly read about them in newspapers, talk about them on the radio, or discuss them online. But what do borders look like? How do they manifest themselves? How are they visualized? What images do we associate with borders, what images do we encounter daily, how are images of borders used to communicate and how has this visual aesthetic evolved over time? These questions are addressed by the exhibition "BORDER IMAGES – IMAGE BORDERS." An interdisciplinary group of art historians, visual studies scholars, social and cultural scientists, artists, and curators has selected well-known and lesser-known artistic works, image photos from border patrol agencies, drone and press photos, historical views and postcards, film stills, and moving images to explore how borders are negotiated. Each selected image is accompanied by a text embedding the work in its historical, cultural, and social context, addressing the question of the border represented in the image. The exhibition, created as part of the festival theme "OUT/SIDE/IN," thrives on the interdisciplinarity of academic insights and the diversity of border images. They illustrate the diverse presence of borders in visual culture, how differently they are portrayed and used. At the same time, it highlights the limitations of visual representations in engaging with current border regimes.