Join us to hear Professor Roland Bleiker talk about the political potential of visual autoethnography through his experience of working as a Swiss Army officer in the Korean DMZ. Drawing on his own photographs he will examine how an appreciation of everyday aesthetic sensibilities can open up new ways of thinking about security dilemmas. He argues that visual autoethnography can be insightful not because it offers better or even authentic views – it cannot - but because it has the potential to reveal how prevailing political discourses are so entrenched that we no longer see their partial, political and often problematic nature.

Professor Roland Bleiker (@rbleiker) is Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland, where he coordinates an interdisciplinary research program on Visual Politics.  His research explores the political role of aesthetics, visuality and emotions.  Recent books include Aesthetics and World Politics (2009/2012) and Visual Global Politics (2018). In a previous life Bleiker was Chief of Office of the Swiss Delegation to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Panmunjom, Korea.

Professor William A Callahan (@Bill_Callahan1) is Professor of International Relations at LSE. At present, he is writing a book about 'Visualising International Politics'.

The Department of International Relations (@LSEIRDept) is now in its 91st year, making it one of the oldest as well as largest in the world.  

Suggested hashtag for this event: #LSEBleiker

There is no podcast available for this event.