CEU eTD Collection (2023); Kristina Ford: Conceptualizing Heritage Through the Exhibition of Documentary Photography in Budapest, Hungary

CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2023
Author Kristina Ford
Title Conceptualizing Heritage Through the Exhibition of Documentary Photography in Budapest, Hungary
Summary The value assigned to photographs by society make them plausible candidates as heritage objects, the most obvious being family photographs with their inclusion of genealogical, cultural, and historic information in one image, and their recognized value in the present by a living person. But photography and heritage have much more in common than is articulated in heritage discourse: perception and feeling as an identity-shaping experience, and the significance of viewer engagement. In heritage discourse, perception, feeling and engagement are tailored to a heritage perspective with documentary photographs that typically accomplish one of two things: history education or cultural voyeurism. Historic photographs are useful educational tools for the heritage experts handling the collections, and for the public viewing them. In other cases, the photographs recognized as having significance to heritage engagement are examples of collective expression or encouragement of feeling. However, without a more intimate understanding of approaching and analyzing photographs, viewers still find themselves detached from both heritage studies and photography as a medium. This thesis conceptualizes heritage from the perspective of the interpretation and exhibition of documentary photographs in ways that appeal to varied levels of engagement, in hopes of encouraging heritage experts to explore how the perception and feeling in conceptual photography analysis can meaningfully connect with their audiences.
Supervisor Szende, Katalin; Meurer, Ulrich
Department Medieval Studies MA
Full texthttps://www.etd.ceu.edu/2023/ford_kristina.pdf

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