The Masked Face

ENCAP

A roundtable discussion with artists and academics presented by Image Works: Research and Practice in Visual Culture

The enforcement of mask wearing during the pandemic has brought the significance of the face newly into the spotlight—and exposed some existing concerns with how we negotiate and police identity. How does our understanding of identity, freedom, and ethics relate to the face? And how are contemporary artists engaging with the face in an age when faces are increasingly mediated through digital forms and subject to pervasive surveillance technologies?Join us as we discuss the contemporary politics of the masked face. This event will feature expert speakers, including historians and media scholars, in conversation with the visual artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg. Each of our speakers will present a short presentation on a particular art or media object before participating in an open discussion led by <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/1742245-" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Dr Jess Cotton</a>.<h3>Guest Speakers</h3><ul><li><a href="http://deweyhagborg.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Heather Dewey-Hagborg</a> is an artist and biohacker interested in art as research and technological critique. Her work has been shown internationally and is held in the collections of the Centre Pompidou, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and elsewhere. You can read a <a href="https://unthinking.photography/articles/generative-representation" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">recent essay</a> by Dewey-Hagborg about her use of forensic DNA phenotyping, which attempts to predict a person&#x27;s face based on their DNA.</li><li><a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/983229-beeston-alix" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Dr Alix Beeston</a> is Senior Lecturer in English at Cardiff University and the author of In and Out of Sight: Modernist Writing and the Photographic Unseen. Dr Beeston will discuss the importance of the face to the shared histories of photography and eugenics. These histories form part of the background to Dewey-Hagborg&#x27;s critical artistic practice.</li><li><a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/cy/people/view/958435-cock-emily" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Dr Emily Cock</a> is a Lecturer in Early Modern History at Cardiff University and the author of Rhinoplasty and the Nose in Early Modern British Medicine and Culture. Dr Cock will speak about the history of masking and the face in relation to social integration in early modern Britain.</li><li><a href="http://www.sharronapearl.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Dr Sharrona Pearl</a> is Associate Professor of Medical Ethics at Drexel University and the author of Face/On: Face Transplants and the Ethics of the Other. Dr Pearl will share from her expertise on the racial resonances of masking during the pandemic in the context of historic anti-masking laws. </li></ul>Further guest speakers to be announced soon!All are welcome! This session is suitable for artists, academics, students, and all interested members of the public. We intend to make use of closed captioning for accessibility. Tickets are free but essential, so please register here to secure your spot. Instructions for logging into the session will be given via email on the day of the event.Feature image: Installation view of Heather Dewey-Hagborg&#x27;s <a href="http://deweyhagborg.com/projects/probably-chelsea" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Probably Chelsea</a>, a work consisting of thirty different possible portraits of Chelsea Manning algorithmically-generated by an analysis of her DNA. Used by permission of the artist.<h3>About Us</h3>Image Works is a group of academics—art historians, philosophers, film scholars, media and communication specialists, and more—who join with artists, practitioners, and students in working with images. We explore visual culture in the broadest sense, including around key areas such as gender, performance, digital technologies, and the environment. Our work is to make the work of images visible, now and in the past. We&#x27;re based at the School of English, Communication and Philosophy but open to all. To find out about our events and activities, follow us <a href="https://twitter.com/ImageWorksCDF" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">on Twitter</a> or sign up for our newsletter by emailing imageworks@cardiff.ac.uk.

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

The Masked Face

More events from ENCAP

Discover more events from ENCAP, from Arts to other experiences you might love.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all online events to browse and filter by date, category, and more.

The Masked Face

More events from ENCAP

Discover more events from ENCAP, from Arts to other experiences you might love.

You might also like...

Browse more events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all online events to browse and filter by date, category, and more.