GRK Das Dokumentarische. Exzess und Entzug

Elisa Linseisen, Dr.

(Associated member since 01/2020)

Contact

E-Mail: elisa.linseisen@upb.de
Web: Profile on the website of Paderborn University

Title of the PostDoc-Project

Protodokumentarismus. Mit National Geographic epistemische Gegen/Modelle dokumentarischen Wandels aufspüren

Project Description

This post-doctoral project seeks to develop a concept of ‘protodocumentariness’ and point to the necessity of questioning the documentary with respect to its model and prototypical structures by examining the publication formats and associated mass media practices, aesthetics and techniques pursued by the American media company National Geographic for over 130 years. The focus is on National Geographic’s effective mass media representations of reality, which suggest that it is possible to open up the world comprehensively and directly. This claim allows observation of exemplary, explorative and stereotypical forms of the documentary.

Using the publication to advance a protodocumentarism will enable reciprocal inquiry between theories of the documentary and an epistemological order of the prototypical. This entails, firstly, the idea that the ‘whole world’ can be represented via prototypical, iconic views, as evidenced not least by the magazine’s covers. Secondly, a second-grade documentarism can be observed. In National Geographic, capturing reality aims not only to illustrate it, but also to reveal the production, implementation and effect of these representations.

Ultimately, protodocumentarism can be described as a modelling, anticipatory attitude towards reality. Beyond the ideal of mechanical objectivity, the intervention of illustration in National Geographic is abundantly apparent. In considering the question of protodocumentarism in the case of National Geographic, this post-doctoral project seeks on the one hand to explore the genuine contradiction of an ostensibly direct representation of reality under the banner of documentation. On the other hand, the project renegotiates the established opposite categories, such as the fictitious, the ideologically manipulative or the pseudofactually deceptive.

Scholarly Career

  • Since January 2020 | Associated member of the DFG post-graduate programmes “The Documentary. Excess and Withdrawal”, Ruhr University Bochum
  • Since 11/2019 | Researcher (post-doc) at the Department of Media Studies under Prof. Dr. Ralf Adelmann, Paderborn University. Research interests: aesthetics of digital imagery, research image practices, media interfaces, media philosophy, format theory, mimesis, video essayism, 3D imagery and stereoscopy, philosophy of science, media studies
  • 12/2019 | Dr. phil. with the doctoral thesis: “High/Definition/Images/Thinking/Digital. Media-Philosophical Image Processing”.
  • 04/2017–10/2019 | Researcher in the subproject “Mimetic Forms of Existence”, DFG research group “Media und Mimesis“ (FOR 1867)
  •  10/2014–10/2019 | Researcher at the Chair of Film Studies with a focus on film theory and film aesthetics under Prof. Dr. Oliver Fahle, Department of Media Studies, Ruhr University of Bochum
  • 2016–2017 | Coordination of the DFG research group “Media and Mimesis’
  • 2014 | Lecturer at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
  • 2008–2013 | Master’s degree in Modern German Literature, Political Science and Germanic Linguistics at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Publications

Monographs

  • High Definition. Medienphilosophisches Image Processing. Lüneburg: meson press, 2020.
  • 3D. Filmisches Denken einer Unmöglichkeit. Köngishausen & Neumann: Würzburg, 2014.

Edited Volumes

  • Mimesis Expanded. Die Ausweitung der mimetischen Zone, in collaboration with Friedrich Balke. Bielefeld: Fink, 2020 (forthcoming).
  • Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft. Medium | Format. 21.1., in collaboration with Alexandra Schneider, Marek Jancovic and Oliver Fahle. Bielefeld: transcript, 2020.
  • Re- and Dissolving Mimesis. Reflections on LoL History, in collaboration with Sebastian Althoff, Maja-Lisa Müller and Franziska Winter. Bielefeld: Fink, 2020.
  • ffk Journal 4, www.ffk-journal.de, in collaboration with Robert Dörre, Julia Eckel, Sarah Horn and Leonie Zilch. Hamburg: Avinus, 2019.

Articles

  • Mi(s)metische Existenzweisen, Apophänie und Black (W)holes. Vom Produzieren digitaler Ähnlichkeiten. In: Mimesis Expanded. Die Ausweitung der mimetischen Zone. Herausgegeben zusammen mit Friedrich Balke. Paderborn: Fink, 2021 (im Erscheinen).
  • Protodokumentarismus. Welterschließung mit National Geographic. In: ffk Journal 6. www.ffk-journal.de. Herausgegeben von Franziska Wagner, Jasmin Kathöfer, Ingo Bednarek und Tim Glaser, Hamburg: Avinus, 2021 (im Erscheinen).
  • The ‘Post’ in Postscript. Post-productive Thinking, Re-Formatted Images. In: Coils of the Serpent: Journal for the Study of Contemporary Power. Deleuze’s “Postscript on the Societies of Control”. Edited by Simon Schleusener and Florian Cord, 2020 (forthcoming).
  • Gilles Deleuze. In: Schlüsselwerke der Medienwissenschaft. Edited by Ivo Ritzer. Wiesbaden: Springer, 2020, in collaboration Oliver Fahle (forthcoming).
  • Medien/Denken Umformatieren. In: Experimente lernen, Techniken tauschen. Ein spekulatives Handbuch. Edited by Julia Bee and Gerko Egert, 2020 (forthcoming).
  • Ludogénie. Latenz des Computerbildes in Beyond two Souls. In: Nach dem Kino – vor dem Spiel. Das Computerspielwerk von David Cage und die Medienkultur. Edited by Alexander Schlicker, Marcel Schellong and Tobias Unterhuber. Berlin: LIT, 2019, in collaboration Oliver Fahle (forthcoming).
  • Christopher Nolans Digital Detox, oder: Die vielen Making-ofs von Dunkirk. Filmschaffensprozesse in einer postkinematografischen Wirklichkeit. In: Nach dem Film. Ästhetik und Theorie des digitalen Films. No. 18. Edited by Angela Rabing and Winfried Pauleit. 2020, in collaboration Felix Hasebrink.
  • Einleitung in den Schwerpunkt. In: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft. Medium | Format. 21.1. Bielefeld: transcript, 2020, in collaboration with Oliver Fahle, Marek Jancovic and Alexandra Schneider.
  • HD’s Invention of Continuity and SD’s Resistance? A Historiography of Cinema and Film to (Be)come and Formats to Overcome. In: Format Matters. Standards, Practices, and Politics in Media Cultures. Edited by Marek Jancovic, Axel Volmar and Alexandra Schneider. Lüneburg: meson press, 2019.
  • A.K. (1985). In: Filmische Moderne. 60 Fragmente. Edited by Oliver Fahle, Lisa Gotto, Britta Neitzel, Lars Nowak, Hedwig Wagner, André Wendler and Daniela Wentz. Bielefeld: transcript, 2019.
  • Editorial. In: ffk Journal 4. Hamburg: Avinus, 2019, in collaboration with Robert Dörre, Julia Eckel, Sarah Horn and Leonie Zilch.
  • Werden/Weiter/Denken. Rekapitulation eines Post-Cinema-Diskurses. In: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft. Medienökonomien. 18.1. Edited by Monika Dommann, Vinzenz Hediger and Florian Hoof. Bielefeld: transcript, 2018, S. 202–209.
  • Im diegetischen Jenseits. Filmisches Erzählen außerhalb der Erzählung. In: Metaphora. Was wissen Medien vom Erzählen? Vol. 4. Edited by Christian Kirchmeier, 2018, S. 1–21.
  • Der Verlust der Wirklichkeit. Ein Potpourri digitaler Seinsweisen. In: Der blaue Reiter. Die Seele im digitalen Zeitalter. 41. Hannover: Verlag für Philosophie, 2018, S. 44–49.
  • High Definition. Das Versprechen hochaufgelöster Bildoberflächen. In: ffk Journal 2, S. 6–21, www.ffk-journal.de, Hamburg: Avinus, 2017, S. 5–21.
  • Meet my Data in Limbo. In: Die Herstellung von Evidenz. Zum Phänomen interaktiver Webdokumentationen. Edited by Oliver Fahle, Beate Ochsner and Anna Wiehl, Marburg: Schüren, 2016, S. 57–77.
  • Quotation Atlas. The Moving Image in Times of Complexity. In: A History of Cinema without Names. Edited by Diego Cavallotti, Federico Giordano and Leonardo Quaresima, Milan/Udine: Mimesis Edizioni, 2016, S. 165–172.
  • 3D als Experiment. Die Frage nach dem ‚Wozu‘ des Kinos. Ein Bericht über die 61. Internationalen Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen. In: Medienobservationen, Munich, 2015.
  • Gravity. Filmischer Existenzialismus. In: Medienobservationen, Munich, 2014.

Talks

  • National Geographic und das Konzept des Protodokumentarismus. Talk presented as part of the 33. annual conference of the ffk (Film- und Fernsehwissenschaftlichen Kolloquium) at HBK Braunschweig | Braunschweig, March 2020
  • Thinking, Searching, Experimenting in Formats. Talk presented as part of the workshop “Ecology of Techniques“ at Justus Liebig University of Gießen | Gießen, February 2020
  • Jeremiah Johnson. Talk presented as part of the “Ringvorlesung Horizon West“ at Ruhr University Bochum | Bochum, January 2020
  • Ereignishorizonte. Utopien in Hochauflösung. Talk presented as part of the “Ringvorlesung Medien|Utopien“ at Paderborn University | Paderborn, December 2019
  • Hochauflösen. Digitalbildliche Erkenntnisprozesse durch Image Processing. Talk presented as part of the international symposium “Out of Focus? – Let’s Use Autofocus!“ at University Bayreuth | Bayreuth, November 2019
  • Pause und ‚Pose‘. Talk presented as part of  the Pop-Up Lecture “Operationen der Serialität“ at University Bielefeld | Bielefeld, October 2019
  • Epistemologisch Zoomen ins Raw-Material postdigitaler Wirklichkeit. Talk presented as part of the annual conference of the GfM 2019 at Universität zu Köln | Cologne, 26. September 2019
  • Bilder/Denken Um/Formatieren. Praktiken der Hochauflösung. Talk presented as part of the Research Colloquium Kunstgeschichte at Bielefeld University | Bielefeld, April 2019
  • Epistemological Zooming. Talk presented as part of the international workshop “Reflections on LOL History“ at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich | Munich, January 2019
  • Introduction for the conference “Mimesis Expanded“ at Ruhr University Bochum | Bochum, November 2018
  • HD & LD. Talk presented as part of the workshop “Reflections on Lumière Galaxy“ an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum | Bochum, November 2018
  • Digitale Seh-Szenen. Vortrag im Rahmen der Summer Academy “Media Philology” at Ruhr University Bochum | Bochum, August 2018
  • Skalierung und Auflösung. Der epistemische Zoom. Talk presented as part of a seminar at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich | Munich, June 2018
  • Introduction for the workshop “Re/Dissolution. Learning from Pixels” in collaboration with Sebastian Althoff at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich | Munich, June 2018
  • High/Resolution. Epistemological Zooming & Scale Immanence. Talk presented as part of the IKKM Princeton-Weimar Summer School “Scaling. What Happens When We Scale Things Up or Down?” at Princeton University | Princeton (NJ), June 2018
  • Talk presented as part of the introduction for the 31. annual conference of the ffk (Film- und Fernsehwissenschaftlichen Kolloquiums) at Ruhr University Bochum | Bochum, February 2018
  • Format reflects Film History. Talk presented as part of the conference “Format Matters” in collaboration with Oliver Fahle at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz | Mainz, December 2017
  • Realismen als Delegationen des Dokumentarischen. Talk presented as part of the lecture series “Principles of Disruption” at TU Dresden | Dresden, October 2017
  • /. Slash Dot. Konvertierung von Denk/Formaten. Talk presented as part of the workshop “Constructive Thinking” at Bauhaus University Weimar | Weimar, September 2017
  • Format-Werden. Hubbles Fernrohr. Talk presented as part of the conference “Vom Medium zum Format” at Ruhr University Bochum | Bochum, September 2017
  • Das Dokumentarische in HD. Talk presented as part of the Grundlagenseminar for the DFG research training group “Das Dokumentarische. Exzess und Entzug” at Ruhr-University Bochum | Bochum, June 2017
  • Response at the panel “Let’s Talk about Sex” at the conference “NECS” at Université Sorbonne Nouvelle – Paris 3 | Paris, June 2017
  • Talk presented as part of the introduction for the workshop “Zwischen Nachahmung und Wirkung. Perspektiven minderer Mimesis” at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich | Munich, December 2016
  • Interview/Affekt. Talk presented as part of the annual conference of the GfM 2016 at Freie Universität Berlin | Berlin, September 2016
  • Das Versprechen der Oberfläche: High Definition. Talk presented as part of the 29. annual conference of the ffk (Film- und Fernsehwissenschaftlichen Kolloquium) at Bayreuth University | Bayreuth, February 2016
  • Filmen ein Gesicht verleihen. Affektion in Hochauflösung. Talk presented as part of the series “Medien/Denken” at Ruhr University Bochum | Bochum, November 2015
  • HD – Cinematic Affection and Visual Density. Talk presented as part of the IKKM Princeton-Weimar Summer School “Archive Futures” at Bauhaus University Weimar | Weimar, June 2015
  • 3D-Reloaded – was ist vom stereoskopischen Kino zu erwarten?. Panel discussion at the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen | Oberhausen, May 2015
  • Quotation Atlas XXII. Talk presented as part of the International Film Studies Conference and International Film Studies Spring School at Universita degli Studi di Udine/Gorizia | Udine/Gorizia, March 2015
  • 3D – Filmisches Denken einer Unmöglichkeit. Talk presented as part of the 27. annual conference of the ffk (Film- und Fernsehwissenschaftlichen Kolloquium) at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich| Munich, March 2014

University Courses

  • Summer Term 2020 | Seminar “Don’t Worry, (Study) Be Yoncé“, Institute of Media Studies, Paderborn University
  • Summer Term 2020 | Seminar “Un-Ready Mades: Unfertige Medien Denken“, Institute of Media Studies, Paderborn University
  • Winter Term 2019/20 | Seminar “Know Your Meme. Oder: die 100 wichtigsten Memes aller Zeiten!“, Institute of Media Studies, Paderborn University
  • Winter Term 2019/20 | Seminar “Horizon West“, Institute for Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum
  • Summer Term 2019 | Seminar “Too big for the big screen? Unfertige Filme“, Institute for Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum
  • Winter Term 2018/19 | Seminar “Einführung in die Filmgeschichte: Odyssee und Brühwürfel“, Institute for Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum
  • Winter Term 2018/19 | Seminar “Moon: The Dark Side of the Medium“, Institute for Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum
  • Winter Term 2017/18 | Seminar „Format“, Institut für Medienwissenschaft, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
  • Summer Term 2017 | Seminar “Das Seminar“, Institute for Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum
  • Summer Term 2016 | Seminar “Einführung in die Filmtheorie“, Institute for Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum
  • Summer Term 2016 | Projektseminar “Videoessays“, Institute for Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum
  • Winter Term 2015/16 | Seminar “High Definition“, Institute for Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum
  • SoSe 2015 | Seminar “Einführung in die Filmtheorie unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Gilles Deleuzes Kinotheorie“, Institute for Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum
  • Winter Term 2014/15 | Seminar “Bewusstseinsräume und Seelenlandschaften im Film“, Institute for Media Studies, Ruhr University Bochum
  • Summer Term 2014 | Seminar “Visuelle Medien um 1900“, Institute for Communicaton and Media Studies, Ludwig Maximilians University München

Organisation of Events

  • 01/2019 | Organisation of the workshop “Reflections on LOL History“ | International workshop at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich| in collaboration with Sebastian Althoff, Maja-Lisa Müller and Franziska Winter
  • 11/2018 | Organisation of the conference “Mimesis Expanded“ at Ruhr University Bochum | with Friedrich Balke
  • 11/2018 | Organisation of the workshop “Reflections on the Lumière Galaxy“ in collaboration with Francesco Casetti at Ruhr University Bochum | with Felix Hasebrink
  • 06/2018 | Organisation of the workshop “Re/Dissolution. Learning from Pixels“ at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich | with Sebastian Althoff
  • 02/2018 | Organisation of the 31. FFK (Film und Fernsehwissenschaftlichen Kolloquium) at Ruhr University Bochum | with Robert Dörre, Julia Eckel, Sarah Horn and Leonie Zilch
  • 09/2017 | Organisation of the conference “Vom Medium zum Format“ at Ruhr University Bochum | with Oliver Fahle
  • 02/2017 | Organisation of the conference “Copycat. Dealing with dangerous Mimesis“ at Bauhaus University Weimar | with Anika Höppner and Karin Kröger
  • 12/2016 | Organisation of the workshop “Zwischen Nachahmung und Wirkung. Perspektiven minderer Mimesis“ at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich | with Stefan Hölscher

Miscellaneous

  • since 2019 | Member of  the Deutschen Gesellschaft für Ästhetik e.V.
  • since 2015 | Member of the Habilitand*innen-Kolloquiums Medienkulturwissenschaft at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and Ruhr University Bochum
  • since 2014 | Member of the Gesellschaft für Medienwissenschaft (AG Medienphilosophie, AG Filmwissenschaft, AG Gender/Queer Studies and Medienwissenschaft)
  • 2018 – 2019 | Mitverantwortliche des Digitale-Lehre-in-GB-Gesprächsforums at the Faculty of Philology at Ruhr University Bochum