Warburg Work in Progress, Autumn 2024 - 'The Hamburg Image Index for Political Iconography and Visual Narratives of Monument Defacement'

Elif Akyüz (Warburg Fellow): ‘Looking Back in Anger: The Hamburg Image Index for Political Iconography and Visual Narratives of Monument Defacement’

The 21st century has witnessed a resurgence of iconoclasm and monument destruction. From the post-colonial debates surrounding statues in Western public spaces to the Black Lives Matter protests, the act of erasing historical figures from the collective memory has become a contentious issue. Events like Charlottesville (2017) and Bristol (2020) have highlighted the symbolic power of these acts and their ability to ignite intense public discourse.

However, it is not only since the recent protests that works of art have been targeted in politically motivated acts of destruction. The epicenter of these phenomena is a politically motivated, destructive moment and its visual representations in mass media. The Image Index for Political Iconography, a comprehensive collection of image cards, bears witness to such events in a variety of newspaper articles, magazine snippets, photographs, and other printed media. Compiled by art historian Martin Warnke during the 1990s, it is being archived at the Warburg-Haus in Hamburg to the present day. By examining these visual representations, the presentation will aim to analyse the strategic and symbolic significance of iconoclastic acts and their impact on political narratives.

The Work in Progress seminar explores the variety of subjects studied and researched at the Warburg Institute. Papers are given by invited international scholars, research fellows studying at the Institute, and third-year PhD students.

ATTENDANCE FREE IN PERSON OR ONLINE WITH ADVANCE BOOKING