Image and memory in times of denialism and hate speech

Main Article Content

Julio Pantoja

Abstract

This article explores the intersection between memory, testimony, and photography in the construction of an understanding of past events and how this relationship is being challenged in the digital age. It emphasizes the significance of images as visual testimonies and the capacity of photographs to influence the perception of truth and the construction of historical and social narratives. There is an emphasis on the impact of digital image manipulation and the growing distrust in the veracity of photographs, which poses challenges in the fight against denialism and the creation of false narratives. Historical examples of image manipulation are mentioned, underscoring the importance of working towards the construction of social imaginaries based on ethics and intellectual honesty. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of responding to hate speech and intolerance through the production and circulation of images that promote memory and truth. Examples of artistic and political actions that have used images as tools for protest and raising awareness of events, particularly in the Argentine context marked by military dictatorship and human rights abuses, are mentioned. A call is made to address these challenges collectively and through a multidisciplinary approach in an era marked by post-truth and information manipulation.

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Article Details

How to Cite
Pantoja, J. (2023). Image and memory in times of denialism and hate speech. Heterotopías, 6(12), 1-21. https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/heterotopias/article/view/43604
Section
Inscriptions of the catastrophe
Author Biography

Julio Pantoja, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán

Julio Pantoja (Jujuy 1961) is a Photography Technician and Architect graduated from the National University of Tucumán. He lives in Tucumán where he works as a photographer, cultural manager and university teacher-researcher, interested in the intersection of art and politics. He is professor of the subjects "Theory of the Image", "Photography" and "Image and Reality after Photography" in the career of Communication Sciences, at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the National University of Tucumán. In 2022 he received the National Award for Artistic Trajectory, and in 2016 the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics of New York University recognized him as a Senior Fellow (Distinguished Affiliate). He chairs the Infoto Foundation and directs the Argentine Biennial of Documentary Photography. 

How to Cite

Pantoja, J. (2023). Image and memory in times of denialism and hate speech. Heterotopías, 6(12), 1-21. https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/heterotopias/article/view/43604

References

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Rigat, L. (2015). Cuerpos Marcados. La imagen como documento, testimonio y crítica social. La Trama de la Comunicación, 19, 151-162.