Breaking the Stereotype: From Orient and Occident to a Mutual Understanding of Images

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14 May – 27 June 2010

The project ‘Breaking the Stereotype 2007-2010’ is an international and intercultural 3-step project initiated by the cultural studies focus „Cultures in Contact” at Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck/ Austria in cooperation with university teachers and students at Kadir Has University (Istanbul/Turkey), Boğazici University (Istanbul/Turkey), Dokuz Eylül University (Izmir/ urkey), Ege University (Izmir/Turkey), Notre Dame University (Beirut/ Lebanon) and the NGOs GenderLink and LibanLink at Salzburg/ Austria.

The project activities have been coordinated by project director, Assoc. Prof. (Privatdozent) Dr. Veronika Bernard, together with a planning, coordinating and editing team consisting of Ass. Prof. Dr. İsmail Boyacı (Dokuz Eylül University, Prof. Dr. Günseli İşçi (Ege University), and Ass. Prof. Dr. Eugene Sensenig-Dabbous (Notre Dame University).

The project was further supported by a scientific team consisting of Ass. Prof. Dr. Eugene Sensenig-Dabbous (Notre Dame University), Ass. Prof. Dr. İsmail Boyacı (Dokuz Eylül University), Prof. Dr. Günseli İşçi (Ege University), Vedat Akman (Kadir Has University), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Aybar (Kadir Has University), Ass. Prof. Dr. Uğur Özgöker (Kadir Has University) and a creative team whose members are Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serhan Oksay (Kadir Has University), Carine Gengler (Vienna/Austria), Isabel Becker (Vienna/Austria).

Dr. Linda Choueiri (Notre Dame University), Dr. Dima Dabbous-Sensenig (Lebanese American University, Beirut/Lebanon), Dr. Guita Hourani (Notre Dame University), Erika Pircher (GenderLink, Salzburg/Austria) have been advisers to the project.

The exhibition ‘Breaking the Stereotype 2010 – From Orient and Occident to a Mutual Understanding of Images’ deals with the ways Orient and Occident have been mutually stereotyped. The exhibition aims at documenting the products of stereotyping as well as the mechanisms active in the stereotyping processes and at opening them to de-construction. It contrasts the representations of cultural perception concerning the Orient and the Occident against the representations of Oriental and Occidental self-perception as they appear in literature, the media and every day life in order to break the stereotypes to be met in these fields. In order to differentiate the problem even further the representations of cultural perception are contrasted against the perception-in return of this perception and by migrant perspectives.

As the exhibition aims at opening as many aspects of stereotyping to de-construction as possible it presents a well balanced mixture of research findings on the exhibition topic, audiovisual and interactive adaptations of research findings and artistic approaches to the exhibition topic. By including the arts into the exhibition also the soft (atmospheric) aspects of Oriental and Occidental stereotyping are considered in terms of de-construction in addition to the hard (factual) aspects of stereotyping.

The exhibits shown in the exhibition have been created mainly by students age 18 to 25 in Austria, Lebanon and Turkey, and by amateur and professional photographers. Works by professional artists like the cartoon-leaflet “Eufanzine” by Isabel Becker, the installation documentary “IMAGINE ME” by Angelika Böck and the drawings by Matías Alejandro Cabrera Laporta illustrating the exhibit “Europes soul is dressed” have stayed the exception.

Particular assets to the exhibition have been the participants of the Kadir Has Photo Contest, which has been organized by Assoc. Prof. Serhan Oksay of Kadir Has University in cooperation with www.Fotoalem.com.

Activities*:

3 Short Film Nights “Istanbul Crossroads Specials”

The 3 short film nights Istanbul Crossroads Specials show migration centred films from the NNYCR Istanbul Crossroads Film Festival and Contest in cooperation with Kadir Has University (Istanbul/ Turkey) and JCI.

Screening program:
14 May, 19:00
27 May, 19:00
22 June, 19:00

Venue: DEPO

The Creative Writing Workshop by Oskar Terš

The 3 creative German language writing workshops ‘Breaking the Stereotype 2010’ by Oskar Terš last for six days each and invite non-professional writers to reflect creatively on specific topics linked to stereotypes including those existing between the Orient and the Occident. They are presenting the Istanbul based writer and translator Gani Oktay Arbak as a special guest.

Program:
Workshop 1: 17 – 21 May
Workshop 2: 24 – 28 May
Workshop 3: 31 May – 4 June
Venue: Austrian Library at the Austrian St. George’s High School/ Özel St. Georg Avusturya Lisesi ve Ticaret Okulu/ Österreichbibliothek am Österreichischen St. Georgskolleg), Kart Çınar Sok. 2, Karaköy – İstanbul

International Conference

The conference ‘Breaking the Stereotype 2010. From Orient and Occident to a Mutual Understanding of Images’ is held as an international and interdisciplinary conference. It brings together senior scholars with PhD students, and postdoctoral academics, without following the classical keynote speaker pattern but rather inviting all speakers either to present their research findings in 20 minute (paper) presentations plus 10 minutes for discussion or in 120-150 minute panels (4-5 panellists). Paper and panel proposals include a wide range of topics focussing on deconstructing historical and current images of the Occident and the Orient in everyday life, the media, politics, migrant contexts, education, fiction, and the arts.

Program:
Conference opening: 22 October
Conference dates: 23-27 October
Conference language: English
Venue: İstanbul 2010 Sanat Üretim Merkezi / Istanbul 2010 Art Production Center, Kadırga Liman Caddesi, Şehsuvarbey Mahallesi No: 82, 34130 Kumkapı İstanbul

*All activities are free of charge.

Supported By:

İstanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture
Innsbruck University
Kadir Has University
DEPO
Fotoalem
Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung
Avusturya Kültür Ofisi, İstanbul
Foto Karg

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