10th

The conference “Visual Cultures in Southeast Europe: Globalization, Gender, Power, and Resistance” marked the 10th InASEA conference and coincided with the 50th anniversary of the SEEHA. This event was dedicated to the memory of o.Univ.-Prof. Dr. Karl Kaser, who was head of SEEHA for many years and until his passing in April 2022. The conference began with a keynote lecture “The Making and Unmaking of State Photography in Socialist Albania” by anthropologist Dr. Gilles de Rapper – Director of Modern and Contemporary Studies at the École Française d’Athènes, and it gathered approximately ninety participants, including scholars and students from Southeast European countries and beyond. They engaged in meaningful discussions and knowledge exchange across twenty-two panels, as well as during various social and cultural events organized as part of the conference. The cultural highlights of the conference included two exhibitions. The first exhibition, 'Mecca Pilgrims from Bosnia and Herzegovina,' showcased a collection of photographs curated by historian Christian Promitzer during his research. This exhibition was housed at RESOWI, in the University campus. The second exhibition featured the photography work of anthropologist historian Robert Pichler, entitled 'Kiosks: Temporary Architecture on the Albanian Coast.' It was hosted at the Off_Gallery in the city of Graz.

Conference capital

The 10th InASEA Conference held special significance on several levels. After two postponements, it was organized shortly after the pandemic lockdowns were lifted. It was dedicated to the memory of o.Univ.-Prof. Dr. Karl Kaser, who had a profound impact on development of historical anthropology in SEE. Lastly, the conference provided a space for interdisciplinary exploration in the relatively new field of Visual Studies within the Southeast European (SEE). The diverse perspectives and varied positions from which scholars engaged and exchanged their research work throughout 10^th InASEA conference, once again underscored the importance of knowledge circulation from the SEE region, beyond its borders.

Simultaneously, the 10th InASEA conference marked the beginning of transformative changes within InASEA. Notably, the decision to transition its journal, Ethnologia Balkanica, to an online format represented a shift from its previous hard-copy publication. This move reflected InASEA's commitment to utilizing the digital space to make knowledge freely accessible for everyone.

Programme