Museums are affective. During the museum experience, we might encounter something that affects us. Sometimes this something lies in the autonomous qualities of an object on display. But sometimes,...Show moreMuseums are affective. During the museum experience, we might encounter something that affects us. Sometimes this something lies in the autonomous qualities of an object on display. But sometimes, it is purposefully fostered by a curatorial intervention. This rather recent museological trend, theorised as affective curatorship, justifies its contemporary relevance by the didactic function of affects. Mostly implemented in museums dealing with difficult histories and their memory work, this thesis explores the potential of affects for feminist curations. Addressing the specific experience of affective dissonance, this work aims to contribute to the current understanding of museums as spaces of collective healing and well-being, and suggests affective dissonance as a methodology for feminist curators. Grounding its argument on the analysis of two exhibitions from the personal experience of deep affective dissonance, the research project argues for its efficiency in raising patriarchal consciousness and empowerment within the visitors identifying as women, and proposes a toolbox of curatorial strategies designed to foster its experience.Show less
Research master thesis | Arts and Culture (research) (MA)
closed access
The colossal statue of Fridtjov the Bold, donated to the Norwegian people by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1913, can be described as excessive in many ways - from an art historical perspective, because of...Show moreThe colossal statue of Fridtjov the Bold, donated to the Norwegian people by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1913, can be described as excessive in many ways - from an art historical perspective, because of its melodramatic stance, and from the perspective of anthropology because of its transgression of gifting norms. The statue also raises the question of the power of the German discourse of the North, which, I claim, had similarities with the Foucaultian discourse described by Said in Orientalism. In this thesis all these forms of excess are explored and an answer is attempted at the question why the Kaiser created the statue.Show less
The main issue that this thesis aims to address is the marginalised position of the affective dimension in theoretical texts or the academic form. By means of an exploration into Severo Sarduy’s...Show moreThe main issue that this thesis aims to address is the marginalised position of the affective dimension in theoretical texts or the academic form. By means of an exploration into Severo Sarduy’s essay “Simulation” (La Simulacíon, 1982), this thesis aims to demonstrate the potential that lies in the employment of the affective dimension in theoretical writing- and reading processes. The analysis focuses on affective strategies in Sarduy’s essay or, in other words, the means in which the reader is incorporated into the text to fulfill an important role in the making of meaning of the text. This thesis aims to emphasise the ways in which the affective dimension is utilised to communicate the ontological perspective of Sarduy’s text as well as it aspires to show how these affective strategies have the ability to criticise and to mobilise change by providing a different kind of knowledge in academic discourses.Show less
Research master thesis | Literary Studies (research) (MA)
open access
this thesis argues that alternative approaches outside of the dominant deconstructive model of trauma theory are in order to more comprehensively represent the (embodied) experience of trauma...Show morethis thesis argues that alternative approaches outside of the dominant deconstructive model of trauma theory are in order to more comprehensively represent the (embodied) experience of trauma amongst women in Western society. In chapter 1 I will start out by tracing the concept of trauma back to its origins. I will pay particular attention to the narratives emanating from the medical discourse surrounding hysteria and trauma, highlighting the paradoxical and problematic conceptualization of the female subject in psychoanalysis. Furthermore, I will show, taking Alias Grace as a case study, how psychoanalysis and the dominant model of trauma theory can be a fruitful epistemological tool when applied to trauma narratives, but also what its limitations are in the face of the female trauma. Chapter 2, then, will further examine the underlying cause of these limitations and the origin of the harmful narratives perpetuated within the trauma theory discourse by exploring the relationship between the phallogocentric nature of Western society and women’s place within it. It will demonstrate why the female experience of trauma warrants additional reflection and that, in some ways, it lies beyond the reaches of the dominant model. And finally, Chapter 3 will propose three alternative approaches that aim at providing a more inclusive account of the female trauma. All three approaches will be characterized by an emphasis on the embodied experience of trauma and treat the female body as a potential site of expression.Show less
Research master thesis | Arts and Culture (research) (MA)
closed access
This thesis intends to explore the relation between memory and matter, through an analysis of contemporary art. The research begins with an investigation of the meaning of memory and explores...Show moreThis thesis intends to explore the relation between memory and matter, through an analysis of contemporary art. The research begins with an investigation of the meaning of memory and explores alternatives to this understanding, as proposed by major theorists in the field of cultural memory studies. These alternatives are then further researched through an analysis of the work by Gabriel Orozco, Anish Kapoor and Navid Nuur. Their work will function as case studies in which certain artworks are related to the comprehension of memory as proposed in the first chapter. Through the study of the performative, transformative and evocative qualities of the artworks, the affect and agency of art will be revealed. These analyses will include an exploration of the connection between memory and matter, as it uses new materialist's notions to reconsider the idea of memory. Through applying a new methodology into an existing field of research, this thesis intends to spark thought for the reconsideration of notions that we take for granted. Ultimately this thesis aims to reevaluate what we know about memory, objects of memory and art.Show less
In this thesis I discuss the way art can be fruitful to the conversation about human enhancement that is sparked by the development of the genetic engineering technique called CRISPR. Drawing on...Show moreIn this thesis I discuss the way art can be fruitful to the conversation about human enhancement that is sparked by the development of the genetic engineering technique called CRISPR. Drawing on theories by Brian Massumi, Georges Bataille, Michel Serres, Rosi Braidotti, Andrew Lapworth and Karen Barad, I argue that bioart has the ability to show that our existence is in its core relational and that this awareness is of importance to an alternate scientific and ethical attitude. I relate this to artworks made by Stelarc, Adam Zaretsky, Revital Cohen, Critical Art Ensemble, Paul Vanouse, Faith Wilding, Kathy High and Eduardo Kac, and show how the agency of their material works provide different epistemological frameworks. Whereas in daily life things and phenomena are often treated as separated but clearly defined and therefore understandable entities, in the projects of these artists the complex and muddy notion of intersubjectivity as a process of becoming is centralized. The incorporation of art in discussions about technological innovations like CRISPR is therefore significant due to its focus on inclusion in contrast to methods of exclusion. The diverse viewpoints that are present in the human enhancement debate exemplify that finding the right definition of what is at stake sometimes cannot be achieved through language and representations. Instead, it has to be known through art’s affective happening in which different desires, implications and heuristic models all find their affirmation.Show less
In deze studie wordt het verband tussen verveling op school, affect en schoolprestaties bij leerlingen in groep acht onderzocht. Hiervoor zijn de variabelen negatief affect, schoolprestaties per...Show moreIn deze studie wordt het verband tussen verveling op school, affect en schoolprestaties bij leerlingen in groep acht onderzocht. Hiervoor zijn de variabelen negatief affect, schoolprestaties per vakgebied en verveling per domein gebruikt. Aan dit onderzoek namen 245 Nederlandse participanten uit groep acht van het basisonderwijs deel. Net als bij voorgaande onderzoeken was negatief affect negatief gerelateerd aan schoolprestaties. Er was geen verband tussen verveling en schoolprestaties, terwijl dit in eerder onderzoeken bij hogere leeftijdsgroepen wel aanwezig was (Mikulas & Vodanovich, 1993).Verveling bij rekenen en affect waren negatief gerelateerd aan schoolprestaties bij rekenen, terwijl verveling en affect geen voorspellers waren voor de prestaties bij begrijpend lezen. Er werd significant minder verveling gevonden bij creatieve vakken in vergelijking met rekenen en begrijpend lezen. Concluderend kan gesteld worden dat het voor docenten in het basisonderwijs niet zinvol is om verveling aan te pakken. Om schoolprestaties te kunnen verhogen zou de focus moeten liggen bij het verminderen van de negatieve gevoelens en emoties van de leerlingen.Show less
In dit onderzoek wordt antwoord gegeven op de vraag in hoeverre verveling op school en affect in het algemeen de schoolprestaties voorspellen. Er is nooit eerder onderzoek gedaan naar verveling op...Show moreIn dit onderzoek wordt antwoord gegeven op de vraag in hoeverre verveling op school en affect in het algemeen de schoolprestaties voorspellen. Er is nooit eerder onderzoek gedaan naar verveling op school bij deze doelgroep. Het onderzoek heeft ook een theoretisch en wetenschappelijk doel. De variabelen verveling op school, positief en negatief affect, de mate van controle en schoolprestaties zijn gebruikt om antwoord te geven op de onderzoeksvraag. Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd bij 242 leerlingen uit groep acht. Verveling op school was geen voorspeller van schoolprestaties. Hoge controle was een voorspeller voor weinig verveling. Affect was wel een voorspeller voor schoolprestaties. Zowel positief als negatief affect voorspelde schoolprestaties. Verveling op school en affect in het algemeen waren samen geen voorspeller voor schoolprestaties. Concluderend kan er dus gesteld worden dat er in het onderwijs met het oog op de schoolprestaties gefocust moet worden op het affect van leerlingen in plaats van op verveling. Implicaties en limitaties van dit onderzoek worden besproken.Show less
Er is nog weinig onderzoek gedaan naar verveling bij kinderen op de basisschool. Eerder onderzoek bij studenten toonde echter aan dat er een negatief verband was tussen verveling en...Show moreEr is nog weinig onderzoek gedaan naar verveling bij kinderen op de basisschool. Eerder onderzoek bij studenten toonde echter aan dat er een negatief verband was tussen verveling en schoolprestaties. In dit onderzoek is er, door gebruik te maken van verschillende vragenlijsten, gekeken naar verveling bij kinderen uit groep acht van de basisschool. De steekproef bestond uit 245 leerlingen van groep acht van de basisschool. Geheel in strijd met de verwachtingen bleek dat de mate van verveling op school geen voorspeller was voor de schoolprestaties in het algemeen. Dit zou kunnen komen doordat er over het algemeen veel minder verveling werd gerapporteerd bij deze groep leerlingen dan bij de leerlingen waar al eerder onderzoek naar is gedaan. Verveling in het algemeen had een positief verband met verveling op school. Conform de verwachtingen is er wel een verband gevonden tussen negatief affect en schoolprestaties. Wanneer leerlingen veel negatief affect rapporteerden waren de schoolprestaties lager. Dit betekent dat het voor leerkrachten van belang is te investeren in het welbevinden van de leerlingen om de schoolprestaties te verhogen. De resultaten impliceerden dat leerkrachten op de basisschool geen extra aandacht aan het voorkomen van verveling hoeven te besteden, omdat de verveling bij deze doelgroep laag was en geen voorspeller bleek van slechtere schoolprestaties.Show less
