As the frequently invoked stereotype of the “angry Black woman” or the insult “bitch” show, racist and sexist discrimination works not least through the policing of feelings, especially those that cause a stir in the public sphere, such as anger. Anne Potjans and Rebecca Racine Ramershoven's respective work in academia and art focuses on anger as a Black feminist empowerment strategy. But what about feelings such as sadness or joy? In a conversation, Potjans and Ramershoven will explore their personal exploration and the socio-political power that lies in the unrestricted expression of feelings in Black feminist theory and artistic practice.
Dr. Anne Potjans has lived in Berlin since 2015 and is a research associate in the European Research Council-funded Consolidator Grant Project “Tales of the Diasporic Ordinary. Aesthetics. Affects. Archives” at the Institute for English and American Studies at Humboldt-Universität Berlin. Her dissertation was awarded a full publication contract in the 2021 “New Perspectives in Black Studies” competition curated by the publishing house Peter Lang. Her book Why Are You So Angry: Anger and Rage in Black Feminist Literature was published in May 2024. Her current research project has the working title “Night Shift - Queer Subcultural Spaces and Black Diasporic Experience.”
Rebecca Racine Ramershoven (1987) lives and works in Cologne and Thessaloniki. As a visual artist, Ramershoven uses the media of photography, moving image and objects to negotiate questions of race-related representation and socio-cultural issues and possibilities. The engagement and integration of political and historical contexts play an important role in her conceptual approaches. In 2022, she received the “Contemporary German Photography” scholarship from the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation. In 2024
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.