Abstract
As a philosopher and editor-in-chief of a documentary magazine, I have come to recognize the Russia-Ukraine conflict as the most visually representative war in human history. This makes it a valuable case study for anyone interested in propaganda, visual culture, and the role images play in shaping public perceptions of the war. In my talk, “Images of Russia-Ukraine War: What Documenting Images Can Teach Us Methodologically,” I’ll discuss the methodological perspectives that have emerged from our work on “Living the War. Kyiv During the Russian War Against Ukraine,” a project that explores the conflict through the experience of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital (livingthewar.media). Our team collected 12 personal testimonies from individuals who were in Kyiv when the war began, as well as a powerful collection of images by eight photographers depicting the ongoing war from multiple angles. One of them was tragically killed by Russian soldiers during his documentary work. The sheer volume of visual material produced by the Russia-Ukraine war, coupled with the impact of social media, has played a significant role in shaping public perception. My goal is to explore the complex interplay between images, perception, propaganda, and communication in the Russia-Ukraine war, highlighting the ethical considerations involved in using images to document and bear witness to the realities of war. By deepening our understanding of the role images play in shaping perceptions of the war we can better equip ourselves to critically engage with the visual material that informs our understanding of these issues.
Presenters
Anton TarasyukEditor-in-chief, Editorial Team, Living the War Documentary Magazine, Ukraine
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Images Do Not Represent Us, They Create Us: The Image and its Transforming Power
KEYWORDS
RUSSIA–UKRAINE WAR, IMAGES OF WAR, DOCUMENTARY JOURNALISM, ETHICS, PROPAGANDA, MEDIA
