Violent Images

Images both reflect and exert violence: AI mimics war photography in Gaza; snapshots from Abu Ghraib become a meme shared around the world; surveillance expands with automated image production and analysis; sexist images still permeate advertising and entertainment. Violent images are part of our lives. They shape how we perceive the world. They may represent violence directly, or their violent potential may be associated with their production, dissemination, or use. Many questions arise: Where does the violence in and of the image begin? What makes an image violent? Who decides this, and in what context? How do production technologies and distribution channels influence the relationship between image and (the exercise of) violence?