Since the 1970s, academic engagement with the theory and history of photography has been a core focus in the cultural and social sciences. Folkwang University of the Arts has long been a prominent institution for critical reflection on photography. In 1994, a chair for the theory and history of photography was established in Essen, making it one of the first academic positions devoted exclusively to this field. This tradition has since been further developed through a strong emphasis on academic teaching and research, culminating in the launch of the M.A. program Photography Studies and Research in 2016.
The program explores the nearly two-hundred-year history of photography in its full historical breadth. Its aim is to deepen understanding of the diverse techniques, materialities, functions, and applications encompassed by the term “photography.” Of particular interest is the role of photography within the broader context of media and cultural history. Theoretical investigations draw on a wide range of paradigms, including aesthetics, phenomenology, semiotics, post-structuralism, postcolonial studies, and gender and diversity studies.
Current research topics in the theory and history of photography continuously resonate within the teaching curriculum. These courses are accessible to all students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. Additionally, Folkwang University of the Arts offers a unique opportunity for academic specialization through its doctoral studies program. Each semester, a multi-day research colloquium provides a forum for discussing ongoing dissertations and other research projects. This event is open to young researchers beyond Folkwang University, fostering interdisciplinary and international scholarly exchange.
Seminars: Please find here a comprehensive list of all seminars, taught since summer term 2015.
Exhibitions (as part of seminars): Passagen (Kunststiftung DZ Bank, curated by students of our M.A. Photography Studies and Research together with Christina Leber and Steffen Siegel, 2022) ● FOTOGRAFIE. Wolfgang Schulz und die Fotoszene um 1980 (Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, Museum für Fotografie Berlin, curators: Reinhard Matz, Steffen Siegel, and Bernd Stiegler, in cooperation with Esther Ruelfs and Ludger Derenthal, 2019–2020) ● Hollis Frampton: ADSVMVS ABSVMVS (Museum Folkwang, Essen, curators: Anne Breimeier and Matthias Gründig, 2018).
Publications by current students (drawing on seminar papers): Paul Werling: Does this Person Exist? KI-Generierte Porträts und ihre prekäre Existenz im Digitalen Raum. In: 21. Inquiries into Art, History, and Visual Culture 4 (2023), pp. 745–781 ☞ PDF ● Malte Radtki: Erinnere mich – zu meinen Bedingungen! Nachlassbewusstsein im privaten Fotoalbum. In: Rundbrief Fotografie 30.2 (2023), pp. 22–36 ● Clara Mühle: Eine Kamera und ein Bier. »Innenansicht« aus dem Ministerium für Staatssicherheit der DDR. In: Rundbrief Fotografie 29.3–4 (2022), pp. 4–7 ● Samuel Solazzo: Zweite Sonne. Bilder verstrahlter Gestade. In: Rundbrief Fotografie 29.2 (2022), pp. 4–7 ● Jakob Schnetz: Kacheln, Mosaike, Raster. Kalkulierte Natürlichkeit in der digitalen Farbfotografie. In: Rundbrief Fotografie 29.1 (2022), pp. 7–20 ● Paul Werling: Das Aussterben anderer betrachten. Zur letzten Sichtung des Kaua’i ‘O-‘o. In: Rundbrief Fotografie 29.1 (2022), pp. 4–6 ● Mira Anneli Naß: »A Complete Negation of our Time«. The Photo Book Bäume by Albert Renger-Patzsch and Ernst Jünger. In: PhotoResearcher no. 31 (2019), pp. 207–226 ● Mira Anneli Naß: Krupp’sche Panoramen als Sichtbarkeitsdispositiv. Visuelle Strategien der Narration von (industrieller) Macht. In: kritische berichte 46.4 (2018), pp. 14–22.
Guests (selection): Sabine Kriebel (University College Cork, July 2024) ● Susan Laxton (University of California at Riverside, June 2024) ● Andrzej Steinbach (June 2024) ● Siobhan Angus (Carlton University, Ottawa, April 2024) ● Alexander Streitberger (UCL Louvain-la-Neuve, February 2024) ● Hannah Darabi (February 2024) ● Kami Arieli (February 2024) ● Sebastian Riemer (December 2023) ● Yi Gu (University of Toronto, November 2023) ● Olivier Lugon (Université de Lausanne, July 2023) ● Romuald Valentin Nkouda Sopgui (Université de Maroua, Kamerun, June 2023) ● Suryanandini Narain (Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, April 2023) ● Luke Gartlan (University of St. Andrews, February 2023) ● Burcu Dogramaci (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, January 2023) ● Jens Schröter (Universität Bonn, December 2022) ● Verena Kick (Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., November 2022) ● Olga Moskatova (Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, June 2022) ● Kathrin Yacavone (Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen, May 2022) ● Sara Dominici (University of Westminster, London, April 2022) ● Mirco Melone (Staatsarchiv Baselland, July 2020) ● Roland Meyer (BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, June 2020) ● Mathias Königschulte (die tageszeitung Berlin, June 2020) ● Andrés Mario Zervigón (Rutgers University, New Brunswick/New Jersey, July 2019) ● Abigail Solomon-Godeau (University of California at Santa Barbara, June 2019) ● Britta Lange (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, May 2019) ● Martina Baleva (Universität Innsbruck, Februar 2019) ● Ann Christin Bertrand (C/O Berlin, January 2019) ● Megan R. Luke (University of Southern California, Los Angeles, May 2018) ● Kelley Wilder (De Montfort University Leicester, February 2018) ● Felix Thürlemann (Universität Konstanz, June 2017).