Abstract
This practice-based paper explores how digital photography can serve as a creative tool for emotional self-regulation, identity expression, and empowerment in response to the social impacts of geopolitical conflict and uncertainty. Drawing on Michael White’s narrative therapy, especially the processes of externalizing problems and re-authoring personal stories, and Merleau-Ponty’s understanding of the body as central to lived experience, the project examines how image-making can help individuals process emotions through embodied reflection. Roland Barthes’ concept of punctum, the small, emotionally charged detail in a photograph, is used to understand how personal images can evoke connection and recognition in others. Using the everyday medium of cell phone photography, participants create visual narratives that not only support their own emotional resilience but also build empathy across cultural and political divides. By proposing accessible, creative interventions, this project highlights how personal storytelling can be a powerful act of resistance, fostering human connection and collective healing in divided and unstable times.
Presenters
Maria MackinneyAssociate Professor, Institute of Design and Visual Interaction, Royal Danish Academy, København, Denmark
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
VISUAL NARRATIVES, EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE, DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY, ARTISTIC INTERVENTION
