Image Testimonies

Image Testimonies contributes to the ongoing debate of testimony and witnessing. Whereas testimony and witnessing have been largely theorized within the framework of epistemological, philosophical, ethical and media-theoretical perspectives, the contributions in this volume focus on images and their specific role in the context of the social web. Besides their claim to "show the truth" or their aim to confront with political problems, the special efficacy of image testimonies seems to lie in their ability to affect, move, or mobilize.

The first and second section of the volume reflects the discussion of image testimonies as an interplay of evidential qualities and their potential to express affective relationalities and emotional involvement. The third section focuses on the question of how social media technologies shape and subsequently are shaped by image testimonies. To further complicate the ethical position of the witness, the final section looks at image testimony at the intersection of creation and destruction, taking into account the perspectives of different actors and their opposed moral positions.

With an emphasis on the affectivity of these images, Image Testimonies provides new and so far overlooked insights in the field. It will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as Sociology and Social Policy, Media and Communications, Visual Arts and Middle East Studies.