History and Visual Studies: Photography and Totalitarianism in the Twentieth Century

4 ECTS course offered in the Fall term

Instructor: Constantin Iordachi

The course will examine the representation of political, social, and cultural change through photographic images, focusing on the interplay between photography, propaganda, memory, and resistance. It will illustrate the power of visual representations by investigating how photography has been employed as a tool for both legitimizing and subverting and resisting authoritarian regimes. Through interdisciplinary perspectives drawing from history, visual studies, cultural studies, and political science, the course explores the multifaceted roles of photography in shaping ruling ideologies but also counternarratives in various societies. Each session will delve into a specific historical case study and analyze how photography was used to document or shape events, employing both state-controlled narratives and dissident imagery.