by valerie.schwarz -

Decisions

Right now the main thing that is holding me back is mainly just my inability to make decisions. I have a lot of different options and ideas about what direction my thesis could go in, but no certainty what I am going to do. I have been pivoting between many different decisions for months now, switching between feeling sure and very lost. So this blog post is my effort to finally cement one of the decisions I have made. The theory is that by putting it online for people to read, I will feel obliged to fulfil their expectations of my thesis. Objectively, this would never work because first of all, maybe about two people are ever going to read this far (thank you at this point) and second of all, no one will be so invested into my thesis topic as to actually form any huge expectations. But I am a notorious people-pleaser who is deadly afraid of letting people down, so for me this method will work just fine.
Full disclosure: for the following information on the thesis structure as well as the exact formulation of my research question, I have used ChatGPT to help me find something suitable.

The Topic

At my talk with Roman last week I presented him with the options I had narrowed it down to in my last blog post, with the sole goal in mind to walk out of that room with a decision for my topic. I’ll admit, that was a fairly ambitious plan, but although I didn’t have a fixed title, research question and structure ready by the end of our talk, it was really helpful in deciding what to explore further. I decided to somehow combine the notion of convincing people to travel more sustainably via a visual media, and the question of how documentary filmmakers’ audiovisual and ethical decisions on how to portray contrasting viewpoints can change the viewers’ perception.
I then explained my ideas and intentions to ChatGPT, asking him to come up with an appropriate research question. The following is the option that resonated most with me and that I felt like represented best what I want to do with my thesis.
“How can the design of a documentary—through audiovisual style, narrative structure, and ethical framing—be leveraged to fairly present conflicting viewpoints while effectively motivating audiences toward more sustainable travel behaviors?”

The Title

Well, this one is still a work in progress, but ChatGPT and I have come up with some options that I already like the sound of:

“Seeing Fairly: Ethical and Audiovisual Strategies for Persuasion in Sustainability Documentaries”“Representing Conflict Fairly: Ethical Documentary Design in the Context of Sustainable Travel Communication”
“Influencing Perception Ethically: Documentary Media Design for Sustainable Travel”
“…: Ethical Documentary Strategies for Fair and Persuasive Sustainable Travel Communication”

One idea I have had for a while now is for the title of my documentary project, which I would like to call Only Planet, as a reference to both the travel guide company Lonely Planet and to the fact that Earth is the only planet we have and we have to take better care of it. When I asked ChatGPT about its associations with the name though, it immediately jumped to a connection with Only Fans, so before I make a final decision on the name, I might test it out with real people in my life to see which association they would make first.

The Methods

For my research on documentaries and how different filmmakers approach the task of portraying contrasting viewpoints as well as treating the topic of sustainability, I want to both interview experts in the field, who can tell me first hand how they would deal with such issues. Furthermore, I would like to develop an informed framework for analysing different documentaries myself and categorising them within my thesis. For writing about the current state of research, I will rely heavily on scholarly literature on the topic.

The Structure

The following would be a rough outline of how the thesis might be structured to properly deal with the topic. While a lot of this will most likely still change throughout the course of the next few weeks, for now it is a good starting point to know what chapters I will definitely have to write, and to be able to prepare literature and also excerpts for my thesis. Once again, the structure was provided by ChatGPT after I had prompted him with the topic, research question, and methodology of my thesis. I then added some comments of my own for what I might want to write about in certain chapters.

1. Introduction

1.1 Background and significance
-> talking about sustainable travel as well as documentary filmmaking and viewer persuasion

1.2 Research problem

1.3 Research question + sub-questions

1.4 Methodological overview

1.5 Structure of the thesis

2. Theoretical & Conceptual Framework

2.1 Documentary Theory & Styles

-> talking about the theory behind documentary filmmaking, what types and styles there are, how to categorise

2.2 Media Design for Persuasion & Behaviour Change

-> talking about persuasion through media in general, empathy, sustainability persuasion specifically

2.3 Fairness, Credibility & Trust in Visual Media

-> the ethics behind it, how fairness is perceived

3. Methodology

3.1 Research Design

-> explanation and justification of used methodology, also how literature, research and practice tie together

3.2 Data Collection

-> describing criteria for which documentaries to analyse and which experts to talk to

3.3 Analytical Procedure

-> creating the framework for film analysis as well as the set of questions for expert interviews, also considering ethics and viability

4. Analysis & Findings

4.1 Content Analysis Results

-> how the documentaries analysed conflicting viewpoints, ethical considerations, common techniques

4.2 Expert Interview Findings

-> describing the expert’s answers, methodologies and approaches to documentary filmmaking, conflicts and ethics

4.3 Synthesis of Findings

-> see whether there are common themes in analysed films and amongst experts, see how different results might be combined

5. Practice-Based Component (max. 1/3 of thesis)

5.1 Project Description

5.2 Application of Findings

-> how theoretical findings can be applied to my own practical work / what I could have done better

5.3 Reflective Evaluation

6. Discussion

6.1 Interpretation of Results

6.2 Theoretical Implications

6.3 Practical Implications

6.4 Limitations

7. Conclusion

by peter.verhounik -

#2 Cinematographische Tools um Emotionen und Wahrnehmung zu gestalten Part 2

“Contrast: The proportion of light to dark within the frame. ‘High contrast’ denotes a large variance from the darker elements to the lighter elements within the scene and ‘low contrast’ exists when the ratio between light and dark is minimal. Natural scene lighting is considered low contrast (that is,
‘high-key’ lighting, particularly used for drama, action, and comedy) while high-contrast (’low-key’) lighting is generally utilised for suspense, neo-noir, or horror films to create a stark, foreboding mise en scène.” (De Valk & Arnold, 2013, S. 76)

Das Beispiel aus The Lovely Bones (2009, Regie Peter Jackson) verdeutlicht in exemplarischer Weise, wie Lichtsetzung, Kontraste und Farbgestaltung als dramaturgische Werkzeuge eingesetzt werden können, um emotionale Reaktionen zu strukturieren und moralische Zuschreibungen innerhalb eines filmischen Narrativs zu verankern. Die Gegenüberstellung der Bildräume, in denen Susie und der Täter inszeniert werden, illustriert die semantische Funktion von Licht, wie sie bereits in der filmwissenschaftlichen Literatur breit diskutiert wird.

Die ersten drei Einstellungen, die Susie zeigen, funktionieren mit hohen Lichtwerten, warmen Farbtönen und einem geringeren Kontrastverhältnis. Die Komposition vermittelt Helligkeit, Offenheit und visuelle Harmonie. Dies ist konsistent mit der kulturprägenden Lichtsemantik, wonach Helligkeit traditionell mit positiven Attributen wie Unschuld, Sicherheit und moralischer Integrität verbunden wird. In der Terminologie von Brown und Rockett fungiert dieses Lichtregime als kulturell codierter Marker, der dem Publikum erlaubt, die Figur intuitiv und ohne narrative Überformung als “gut”, “schutzbedürftig” oder “vertrauenswürdig” zu identifizieren.

Demgegenüber stehen die Bilder des Mörders, die durch stark reduzierte Luminanz, kalte Farbräume und hohen Kontrastverhältnissen charakterisiert sind. Die visuelle Gestaltung lebt von engeren Räumen, sowie einer insgesamt gedrückten atmosphärischen Dichte. Diese Darstellungsweise erzeugt eine visuelle Enge, die nicht nur räumliche Bedrohung, sondern auch psychologische Ambivalenz transportiert. Wie Dyer herausarbeitet, ist die dramaturgische Verbindung zwischen Dunkelheit, moralischer Korruption und Gefahr nicht zufällig. Diese ist in jahrzehntelangen, kulturell sedimentierten Wahrnehmungsmustern verankert. Filme nutzen diese symbolischen Lichtcodes gezielt, um emotionale Wertungen beim Zuschauer zu kanalisieren, bevor die Handlung selbst explizite Informationen liefert. (Maszerowska, 2012, S. 77-78)

Die Arbeit mit starkem Kontrast und Low-Key-Lichtsituationen erzeugt beim Publikum in der Regel eine emotionale Resonanz, die den Zuschauer erfasst und eine besondere Tiefe an Drama hervorruft. Diese Wirkung entsteht, ohne dass übertriebene Action oder ein lauter, dominanter Soundtrack eingesetzt werden müssen. Die entscheidende Rolle spielt hier die subtile Gestaltung, die Atmosphäre und Stil aufbaut und gleichzeitig eine feine, im Bild spürbare Bewegung andeutet. (De Valk & Arnold, 2013, S. 58-59)

Bemerkenswert ist zudem, dass diese Differenzierung nicht lediglich als ästhetisches Stilmittel fungiert, sondern eine aktive Rolle im kognitiven und emotionalen Verarbeitungsprozess des Publikums einnimmt. Die visuelle Trennung der Figurenwelten erzeugt eine klare emotionale Orientierung und erleichtert die empathische Positionierung. Während Susies helle Bilder den Zugang zu emotionaler Resonanz und Mitgefühl öffnen, erschwert die düstere Darstellung des Täters die affektive Annäherung und verschiebt die Wahrnehmung in Richtung kognitiver Distanzierung. Dadurch bestimmen Licht und Schatten nicht nur die räumliche Struktur der filmischen Welt, sondern greifen direkt in Mechanismen der Zuschauerempathie ein.

Insgesamt zeigt das Beispiel, wie cinematographische Lichtsetzung als komplexes semiotisches System operiert, das moralische Kategorien visuell kodiert, emotionale Reaktionen vorstrukturiert und die Wahrnehmungsweise des Publikums kanalisiert. Die Analyse unterstreicht, dass vorallem Licht im Film weit über seine technische Funktion hinausgeht. Es ist ein zentrales Werkzeug zur Steuerung von Emotion und Wahrnehmung. (Maszerowska, 2012, S. 77-78)

De Valk, M., & Arnold, S. (2013). The Film Handbook (0 ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203146446
Rockett, Will H. (1988) Devouring whirlwind. Terror and transcendence in the
cinema of cruelty. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, Inc.

Brown, Blain. (1996) Motion picture and video lighting. Burlington, MA: Butterworth – Heinemann.

Dyer, Richard. (1997) White. London: Routledge.

Maszerowska, A. (2012). Casting the light on cinema – how luminance and contrast patterns create meaning. MonTI. Monografías de Traducción e Interpretación, 4, 65–85. https://doi.org/10.6035/MonTI.2012.4.3

by linaprima -

LS3 #1 Mastertopic who?

Starting this semester, I find myself in a strange in-between space: I know I’m supposed to move toward a Master’s topic, but instead of clarity I mostly feel a kind of conceptual restlessness. Every idea I touch opens up into three more. I’m interested in too many things, pulled in several directions at once, e.g. visual culture, politics, public space, feminism, design as a form of intervention rather than decoration.
So choosing just one topic feels way to definite, not sure if anyone is also struggling with this as well.

But three potential directions keep returning to me. They are not fully formed, but they feel like possible starting points or loose constellations of thoughts:

1. Design Homogenization & the Global Aesthetic

One theme I keep circling around is the increasing sameness of contemporary design. Cities, ads, apps, brands or anything branded really -> everything is starting to look suspiciously uniform. Global companies rely on neutral sans-serifs, minimal palettes, clean universality. Instagram trends travel faster than local cultures can react.

This makes me wonder:

  • What gets lost when visual culture becomes globally streamlined?
  • How do local identities survive within systems that reward sameness?
  • And what does “authenticity” even mean when aesthetics circulate so fast?

This topic pulls me in because it sits between design, culture, and the politics of globalization and because I feel this tension personally every time I walk through a city and can’t tell where I am anymore.

2. Posters as Social Touchpoints

A second direction came to me by being showered with content about the pudding mit gabel events or the look-a like contests that all started because of some “badly” designed poster. Therefore, I’ve realized that posters don’t just communicate but they connect. They create tiny moments like someone stops, someone smiles, someone takes a photo, someone feels seen or irritated or even big moments like big events and community buildings. These different interactions fascinate me.

I’m curious about:

  • How analogue media can trigger social encounters
  • What kinds of posters invite participation or emotional response
  • Why physical touchpoints feel increasingly valuable in an overstimulated digital world

This approach would let me stay close to the city as a living laboratory, observing how design behaves “in the wild,” and how people respond to different visuals and what they will act upon.

3. Visual Protest & Everyday Feminist Interventions

The third direction ties into my long-standing interest in feminist protest. Not the big marches or iconic placards, but the small gestures – subtle, low-budget interventions that slip into daily life: stickers, posters in odd corners, tiny disruptions that shift the energy of a space. Basically what I have been researching for the past two semesters as well. I’ve been noticing how powerful these micro-protests can be, especially in gendered environments where a lot remains unspoken.

Some questions that orbit this theme:

  • How does subtle visual resistance reshape public space?
  • Which aesthetics make feminist protest feel urgent, playful, or subversive?
  • What happens when protest becomes intimate rather than spectacular?

This line of thinking feels personal, political, and directly connected to the work I’ve been doing over the past months.

And Now?

Now I just have to decide… If anyone is reading these blogposts, I’d love to hear some opinions :)) (Actually might not even chose between these three ideas, even during writing this post, I got a few more ideas)

by linaprima -

LS Impulse #2 CoSa

In the beginning of November, we visited the CoSa Museum in the Joanneumsviertel Graz with the whole study program to get inspiration for our own gamification approach. But I would like to use it as a topic for one of my Impulse posts as well as I found the different approach for a museum very interesting and even within the exhibition there were some interesting differences.

I saw two of the exhibitions, there are way more, but it takes a while to even go through one of them. The first exhibition was about finances – the history of it, how to handle it and how our world is managed by it. The exhibition started by handing each visitor a small card that could be used for quizzes throughout all the rooms that would save your points etc. Therefore, visitors would be more interested and hooked to actually go through all the rooms and do the tasks to – then in the end – do a checkout and get a receipt with your score. I think the Concept and approach was interesting and a good idea, on me it did not work at all, because the reward in the end was not enough fore me; for a friend on the other hand it worked really well, and she really wanted to do all the tasks because it was enough for her to gather a very high score. I found this observation very interesting, because it showed how different our rewardsystems in our brain work and how that plays with our motivation for a (rather dry) topic. Another reason why I did not like the exhibition that much was the fact that it was all just pretended gamification. What do I mean with that? One game was for example to steer a containership from Europe to South America (on a screen obviously) But after 2 seconds it was clear that you didn’t actually do anything for the movement and the controller were just fake for you to think that you have an impact on the game. And basically all of the games were like that, and I lost interest very fast and almost did not finish any of those games. Of course, you have to keep in mind that the normal target group for the exhibition is children or young people that are still in school, but I would guess that they are even less concentrated or have the attention for a non-working game.

The second exhibition was way more interesting, it was not specifically about one topic but covered things like optical illusions, illness and lab diagnoses, AI content or how a car is built. And from the second I stepped into the room; I immediately understood that this is actually gamified and not like the other exhibition. Even the rooms were designed in a way more intuitive and natural way, it was more chaotic but then way more interesting to discover the different areas of it. Even though there were no reward systems or anything that would hook you until the end. And it was very touch and do- based, a lot of buttons, cranks or shadows to play with. They built and actual hospital room were you could get “blood” from the patients and analyse them in the lab next to it – and also be wrong about things. I think thats actually a main and important factor about gamification – that you can fail or lose and have to try again. Therefore it feels more important and interesting.

Connecetion to communication design:

The visit made me think about how strongly spatial communication influences user experience and engagement. The first exhibition felt extremely flat because the space was designed in a very sterile, minimal and almost liminal way, it had clean colours and no real sense of discovery. It communicated education rather than interaction, and because of that, even the attempts at gamification felt forced. The second exhibition in comparison used space almost like a narrative tool. It allowed visitors to explore, wander, and follow their own curiosity. For communication design, this highlights how important the design of an experience is: gamification is not only about scores or tasks but about creating an atmosphere that encourages participation. Gamification depends on emotional involvement, and emotional involvement depends heavily on how a space (off or online) is constructed.

It also raised the question of how communication designers can intentionally build environments that support learning, experimentation and play without feeling manipulative or superficial. Good gamification is a form of communication design, and it works best when it creates meaning not just motivation.

How can I use this for a potential master topic?

One idea I had is to connect this experience to my thoughts around design and globalization, especially how information is communicated across cultures, languages, or contexts. Gamification could be a meethod to make complex global systems, such as supply chains, political structures or gendered spaces more understandable through interaction and embodied experience. Another direction could be to explore how gamification can support or challenge feminist or activist communication. For example: How can playful interaction be used to reveal power structures? Or how can spatial or digital gamification become a tool for subtle protest?

Links:

CoSa Joanneumsviertel Graz
How Gamification Motivates
Social Interactions and the Dynamics of Protest Movements

by linaprima -

LS Impulse #1 Schulter an Schulter

Last week on November 12th, I watched the documentary movie Schulter an Schulter (“Shoulder to Shoulder”) as part of the Crossroads Festival in Graz. The film brings together five long-term Antifa activists who, for the first time, speak openly about the backgrounds, motivations, and practices of an unusually organized and professional movement that confronted the growing neo-Nazi scene in reunified Germany after 1989. After the movie, activists from Graz also openly spoke about their experiences with antifa and activism.

I found the movie very interesting as the history of antifa is shown in a very clear and understandable way through archival material, personal recollections and reflective interviews by five activists from Germany. Also, the documentary traces how antifascist activism evolved from spontaneous street protests into structured networks of resistance. It portrays not only the confrontations with far-right groups but also the internal debates, emotional strain, and solidarity among activists who dedicated decades of their lives to anti-fascist work.

What fascinated me most is how Schulter an Schulter positions activism as both a historical and emotional practice, something that operates within and beyond visible protest actions. The film exposes how collective resistance requires organization, communication, and strategy, all forms of design in themselves. This connection between activism and design deeply resonates with my current research interests, especially around how protest is communicated, visualized, and mediated.

As a communication designer, I found the film relevant in two key ways.
First, it shows the power of narrative framing: how a movement is represented over time strongly shapes its public perception. The Antifa movement in Germany has long been reduced to stereotypes – often portrayed as radical, chaotic, or violent – yet this documentary humanizes it, showing the strategic, ethical, and emotional labor behind it. This reminds me that design, too, carries responsibility for framing social and political struggles.
Second, the film’s aesthetic approach relying on authenticity, honesty, and long-term perspective rather than shock or spectacle aligns with my growing interest in subtle, reflective forms of protest communication.

In relation to my potential master’s research, Schulter an Schulter raises important questions:
How can design contribute to the documentation and visibility of activist movements without simplifying them? What role does visual communication play in shaping public understanding of resistance?
And how can we as designers, engage with political memory,  especially movements that are often marginalized or misrepresented?

The film also left me reflecting on the infrastructures of protest: flyers, posters, coded communication systems, and collective symbols that circulated among activists. Many of these tools are examples of grassroots communication design created under pressure, with urgency and purpose. I’m inspired to explore how these visual and material artifacts of resistance could inform contemporary design practice, especially in feminist and activist contexts.

Finaly, Schulter an Schulter was not only a historical documentary but also an impulse to think about design as a form of resistance  through slogans or aesthetics as well as how we construct narratives and meaning.

Links:

Crossroads Festival Graz

Schulter an Schulter – Antifa Film

Weil der Staat versagte

by Veronika Poštrak -

IMPULSE #1 – A Book

The past two months have honestly felt like a creative fog. After spending two semesters researching mental-health apps, accessibility, calming UX elements, and the role of AI in emotional support, I hit a wall. I wasn’t excited about pushing that topic any further, even though I still care about it. It just didn’t feel like the direction I wanted to take for my Master’s thesis.

So I started looking for something new.
For a short while, I explored AI in education: AI tutors, learning tools, digital classrooms. I listened to podcasts, skimmed articles, tried to “feel it”… but it didn’t grab me. It felt interesting, yes, but not like “my” topic. And because nothing lit that spark, I kept delaying these Impulse blogs. There simply wasn’t anything I could honestly call an impulse, until I picked up Keep Going by Austin Kleon.

Reading this book didn’t suddenly give me the perfect thesis idea, but it gave me something I really needed: a sense of movement again.

What Keep Going Gave Me

One of the big ideas in the book is that creativity isn’t a dramatic, once-in-a-while moment. It’s more like a daily rhythm. Kleon compares it to waking up in Groundhog Day – every day you start again. That made me feel a bit calmer about not knowing my direction yet. Maybe not having “the” idea right now is normal, not a failure.

His idea of a “bliss station” stayed with me too. Basically, a little mental or physical space where you disconnect from the noise and let your thoughts breathe. Lately, I’ve been drowning myself in information about what my thesis could be: podcasts, articles, trends, AI debates. Constant noise. Kleon reminded me that creativity sometimes comes from doing less, not more. From quiet, boredom, or even a messy desk.

Another chapter that hit home was “You Are Allowed to Change Your Mind.” This felt almost like permission I didn’t know I needed. I had convinced myself that because I had spent so much time on my previous topic, I must continue with it. Changing direction felt wrong, like giving up. But Kleon says it’s completely normal to shift, to rethink, to explore something new. That idea made me feel less guilty about stepping away from mental health apps and not fully clicking with AI in education. Maybe changing my mind is just part of the creative process.

He also talks a lot about focusing on the verb rather than the noun. Not “being a student looking for a topic,” but actually researching, playing, trying things out. That mindset feels much lighter and more fun.

And finally, one line keeps repeating in my head:
“Pay attention to what you pay attention to.”
Maybe the things that naturally grab my curiosity in the next weeks, small things, random things, might slowly point me toward my thesis direction.

How This Helps Me Moving Forward

I still don’t know my final topic. But after reading Keep Going, I don’t feel stuck anymore. I feel more open, more patient with myself, and more willing to explore without pressure. My thesis will come from what I genuinely care about next, not from panic or noise.

For now, this book was exactly the impulse I needed to… well, keep going.

Stuff Worth Clicking A.K.A. Accompanying Links

Disclaimer: This blog post was written with the help of AI for better grammar and correct spelling.

by joschua.hohenbrink -

4. IMPULS: Begegnung mit Onionlab

Das Klanglicht-Festival 2025 war für mich auch ein Raum der Begegnungen. Eine der wichtige Begegnungen fand mit dem Künstlerstudio Onionlab statt, das international für seine Arbeiten im Bereich immersiver Installationen, Lichtkunst und generativer Räume bekannt ist.

Im Rahmen der Young Masters-Ausstellung hatte ich die Möglichkeit, zwei der Künstler, die hinter dem Kollektiv Onionlab stehen, persönlich kennenzulernen.

Die Installation in der Stadtpfarrkirche: Spiegel, Licht und generative Komposition

Onionlab präsentierte beim Klanglicht 2025 eine Installation, die in der Stadtpfarrkirche Graz aufgebaut war. Die Arbeit bestand aus einer Vielzahl von hängenden Spiegeln, die in unterschiedlichen Höhen und Winkeln im Kirchenschiff angeordnet waren. Diese Spiegel wurden durch ein fein abgestimmtes System aus programmierbaren Lichtquellen, rotierenden LED-Spots und gerichteten Farbakzenten angestrahlt.

Die Besonderheit lag dabei nicht nur in der technischen Präzision, sondern vor allem in der Choreografie des Lichts:

  • Das Licht bewegte sich harmonisch entlang einer vorprogrammierten Sequenz,
  • die Spiegel warfen verzerrte Fragmente, Streifen und Lichtflächen in den Raum,
  • die Reflexionen lösten die Grenzen der Architektur stellenweise auf und erzeugten schwebende Lichtkörper im Kirchenschiff,
  • begleitet wurde das Ganze von einer Komposition eines japanischen Soundkünstlers, die die Installation atmosphärisch in ein poetisch-futuristisches Licht rückte.

Onionlab gelang es, den sakralen Raum weder zu überlagern noch zu dominieren, sondern ihn durch subtile Eingriffe so zu transformieren, dass die Besucher:innen eine völlig neue Perspektive auf das Kirchenschiff erhielten.

Die Spiegel fungierten als visuelle Vermittler zwischen Architektur und Lichtquelle, und das Mapping war nicht plakativ inszeniert, sondern diente der Verfeinerung der räumlichen Wahrnehmung.

Perspektive: Masterarbeit in Kooperation mit Onionlab

Das Gespräch mit Onionlab hat in mir die Überlegung ausgelöst, meine Masterarbeit entweder in Kooperation mit dem Studio oder sogar direkt in Barcelona zu schreiben. Onionlab arbeitet in genau dem Bereich, der für meine Forschung essenziell ist:

  • Licht als architektonische Intervention,
  • generative Systeme,
  • audiovisuelle Transformation von Räumen,
  • Projektion im sakralen und urbanen Umfeld,
  • Einsatz von Spiegeln, volumetrischem Licht und immersiven Medien.

Eine Kooperation könnte folgende Vorteile haben:

  1. Professioneller Einblick in ein internationales Medienkunststudio
     – mit realen Workflows, Projektplanung, technischen Herausforderungen.
  2. Direkte Anwendung meiner Forschungsfragen
     – Lichtwirkung, Raumtransformation, sakrale Wahrnehmung, Mapping als atmosphärische Praxis.
  3. Betreuung oder mentorship durch erfahrene Künstler*innen
     – was den theoretischen und praktischen Teil meiner Masterarbeit stärken würde.
  4. Konkrete Projektmöglichkeiten
     – z. B. Teilnahme an einem Ausstellungsvorhaben, bei dem ich ein eigenes Modul beisteuern könnte.

Langfristige Perspektive nach dem Studium
 – etwa ein “postgraduate internship” oder eine projektbezogene Mitarbeit.

Hinweis zur Verwendung von KI-Tools

Zur sprachlichen Optimierung und für Verbesserungsvorschläge hinsichtlich Rechtschreibung, Grammatik und Ausdruck wurde ein KI-gestütztes Schreibwerkzeug (ChatGPT, OpenAI, 2025) verwendet.

by joschua.hohenbrink -

3. IMPULS: Francis Bacon

FLESH//MACHINE – A Sensorial Anatomy of Fear and Flesh

Die Begegnung mit den Werken von Francis Bacon war für mich ein prägender Moment in meiner künstlerischen Entwicklung. Bacon gilt als einer der bedeutendsten gegenständlichen Maler des 20. Jahrhunderts. Zwischen Expressionismus, Surrealismus und Kubismus zeichnen sich seine Werke durch eine radikale Darstellung des deformierten menschlichen Körpers aus. 

Ich erinnere mich noch genau an meinen Besuch im Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, die ich 2009 im Rahmen einer Exkursion während meines ersten Studiums in den Niederlanden besuchte. Die Darstellungen Bacons wirkten gleichzeitig verstörend und faszinierend, sie erzeugten eine Atmosphäre aus Nähe und Abstoßung, Verletzlichkeit und Gewalt. 

Diese Erfahrung gab mir den entscheidenden Impuls, als wir im Rahmen der Project Work „Gamification“ an der FH Joanneum ein Ausstellungskonzept für die Generation Z entwickeln sollten. Ziel war es, neue Wege zu finden, wie junge Besucher:innen durch spielerische und immersive Strategien an Kunst herangeführt werden können. In dieser Situation entstand die Idee einer immersiven Ausstellung zu Francis Bacon, die nicht nur seine Gemälde zeigt, sondern seine Themen – Angst, Körperlichkeit, Identität und Auflösung – sensorisch erlebbar macht. Auch wenn wir uns dann für ein anderes Thema entschieden hatten, ging mir diese Idee nicht mehr aus dem Kopf.

Konzeptidee: Flesh Machine – A Sensorial Anatomy of Fear and Flesh

Das Konzept sah vor, dass KI-gesteuerte Roboter durch den Raum wandern – bekleidet mit LED-Gewändern, die wie digitale Häute wirken. Diese Gewänder sollten aus flexiblen LED-Meshes bestehen, also netzartigen Materialien aus Glasfaser, Silikon oder Polyester, die mit Micro-LEDs bestückt sind. Durch ihre Transparenz und Biegsamkeit könnten sie Licht und Bewegung auf fast organische Weise vereinen. Die Gewänder sollten über DMX-, Art-Net- oder Video-Input-Schnittstellen ansteuerbar sein und die Malereien Bacons oder eigene, von KI generierte Körperbilder zeigen.

Der Besucher würde so in ein lebendiges, atmendes Gemälde eintreten – ein Raum zwischen Kunstwerk und künstlicher Intelligenz, zwischen Körper und Maschine. Die Roboter würden nicht als futuristische Entitäten erscheinen, sondern als fragile Wesen zwischen Fleisch und Mechanik. Dieses Setting wäre eine Anatomie der Angst: Bewegung, Präsenz, Instabilität, Identität und Entfremdung würden physisch spürbar.

Da real bewegliche Roboter mit LED-Textilien technisch und finanziell kaum umsetzbar sind, entwickelte ich die Idee weiter: Statt echter Maschinen könnten digitale Projektionen oder Displays diese Rolle übernehmen. Denkbar wären A3- bis A1-große „Digital-Poster-Screens“, auf denen animierte Figuren erscheinen, deren LED-Gewänder sich bewegen, flackern, atmen. Die Bewegung könnte durch KI-Simulationen generiert werden, die das Verhalten organischer Strukturen nachahmen. So entstünde eine metaphorische Fleischmaschine, die den Körper als Projektionsfläche für Angst, Wahrnehmung und Transformation versteht.

Verbindung zu meiner Masterarbeit

Während The Dragon’s Cave im sakral-mystischen Raum operierte, würde Flesh Machine den urban-technologischen Raum ansprechen – einen Raum, in dem das Verhältnis von Körper, Technik und Wahrnehmung erfahrbar wird.

Diese Idee könnte einen Teil meiner geplanten Dreifaltigkeit der Räume bilden:

  • der sakrale Raum (Spiritualität und Transzendenz),
  • der industrielle Raum (Technologie und Entfremdung),
  • der natürliche Raum (Vergänglichkeit und Zyklus).

Im industriellen Segment wäre Flesh Machine die konzeptionelle Umsetzung: eine audiovisuelle Reflexion über den menschlichen Körper als Projektionsfläche, über die Schnittstelle von Angst und Faszination, von Leben und Simulation.

Hinweis zur Verwendung von KI-Tools

Zur sprachlichen Optimierung und für Verbesserungsvorschläge hinsichtlich Rechtschreibung, Grammatik und Ausdruck wurde ein KI-gestütztes Schreibwerkzeug (ChatGPT, OpenAI, 2025) verwendet.

by noah.bonevie -

Why Films Trigger Strong Emotions: Psychological Mechanisms Behind Tears and Intensity

Many people notice that films can trigger emotions far more quickly than everyday situations. A single close-up, a shift in music or a sudden narrative turn can cause a lump in the throat or even bring tears to the eyes. To understand why this happens, it is helpful to look at the psychological mechanisms involved. These processes are well researched and explain why cinematic experiences can feel so immediate and overwhelming.

A central concept is emotional contagion. This describes the automatic tendency to absorb and mirror the emotions of others. When viewers see a character experiencing sadness or fear, they often feel traces of the same emotion. This reaction is not conscious. It is rooted in processes linked to mirror neuron activity, where observing an emotion activates similar emotional circuits in the brain. Even if the viewer logically knows the scene is fictional, the emotional system reacts as if it were real.

Another important concept is narrative transportation. This refers to the psychological state of being fully absorbed in a story. When transportation occurs, attention narrows, and the boundary between fiction and reality becomes softer. Viewers begin to think and feel within the world of the film. Research shows that during strong transportation, critical distance drops and emotional responsiveness increases. This helps explain why certain scenes feel especially intense.

Films also activate empathy-related processes. Empathy involves both understanding another person’s emotional state (cognitive empathy) and sharing an aspect of that emotion (affective empathy). Cinematic techniques, such as close-ups, slowed pacing and intimate sound design, intensify these responses. A character’s struggle or vulnerability becomes easier to identify with because film directs the viewer’s attention very precisely.

Music influences emotional reactions through affective priming. This means music prepares the emotional system for a certain mood. Slow harmonies, minor chords or subtle shifts in instrumentation can increase emotional sensitivity. Film music often works below the threshold of conscious awareness. The viewer feels the emotion before understanding why, which makes reactions stronger and faster.

Another relevant concept is safe emotional simulation. Films create a protected psychological environment in which viewers can experience intense emotions without real-life consequences. This safe distance allows people to feel deeply because they are not personally threatened. The story creates controlled exposure to emotional situations, making vulnerability easier than in real-life contexts.

In addition, the structure of film uses emotional pacing. Filmmakers craft emotional arcs deliberately: tension builds, is held and then released with precision. This controlled rhythm can create emotional peaks that rarely occur so clearly in everyday life. Because the viewer’s emotional system is guided step by step, the intensity of the final release can be very strong.

Finally, emotional reactions often connect to personal memory activation. Certain scenes can echo experiences viewers have had themselves. This may happen even if the memory is not consciously recalled. The film triggers an emotional pattern that already exists in the viewer’s internal world, creating a deeper and more personal reaction.

Together, these psychological mechanisms explain why films can touch us so immediately. They combine attention control, empathetic connection, emotional simulation and narrative immersion. When all these processes work together, the emotional effect becomes unusually strong, even overwhelming. What feels like sudden emotion is actually the result of several intertwined psychological systems designed to help humans understand the feelings of others.

Literature:

Bordwell, D., & Thompson, K. (2020). Film art: An introduction (12th ed.). McGraw Hill.

Groen, M. (2018). The psychology of emotion in film. Routledge.

Plantinga, C. (2009). Moving viewers: American film and the spectator’s experience. University of California Press.

Smith, M. (1995). Engaging characters: Fiction, emotion, and the cinema. Oxford University Press.

Tan, E. S. (1996). Emotion and the structure of narrative film: Film as an emotion machine. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

by noah.bonevie -

Understanding Stereotypes: How They Could Work in Film and Why Responsibility Matters

As we continue developing our short film, we are exploring different narrative approaches that might help guide viewers expectations and create emotional impact. One option we are considering is the use of stereotypes. To evaluate this idea properly, we first need to understand what stereotypes are, how they function in media and why responsible handling is so important.

Stereotypes are simplified ideas about groups of people. They reduce complex identities to a few general characteristics. In everyday life, they act as shortcuts people use to interpret others quickly. In film, this effect can be even more noticeable. When viewers see a character only briefly, they often rely on familiar patterns to fill in the gaps. This is why stereotypes are commonly used in media: they offer an immediate point of orientation.

Because they work so quickly, stereotypes can be an effective tool for shaping expectations. A character with certain visual or behavioral cues can lead viewers to assume they understand the situation. If we decide to use this technique, it could help guide the audience toward a particular interpretation at the beginning of the story. This would create a feeling of certainty, which could later be challenged through a shift in perspective or a narrative twist.

At the same time, we are aware that stereotypes carry risks. When used uncritically, they can reinforce harmful assumptions or reduce individuals to single traits. Media has a strong influence on how society views certain groups, and repeated stereotypical portrayals can contribute to prejudice. Because of this, any use of stereotypes requires careful thought. We need to be sure that we are not reproducing ideas that have negative effects outside the story.

In our project, we want to consider how stereotypes might be used without reinforcing them. One possibility is to guide the audience toward a familiar assumption and then reveal a more complex truth. The intention would be to highlight how quickly one can fall into stereotypical thinking. This approach could support the themes we want to explore, especially if the film addresses issues like discrimination or bias.

However, nothing is fixed yet. We are still experimenting with different methods of storytelling. Stereotypes remain only one of several tools we might use. If we choose to include them, it will be with clear intention and with the responsibility that comes with representing real people and real issues. If we decide against them, it will be because another narrative approach serves our goals more effectively.

For now, the most important step is understanding the impact of stereotypes in media. They offer narrative efficiency but also shape public perception. They can guide viewers emotionally, but they can also oversimplify. As we continue refining our ideas, we want to stay aware of both sides. Whatever choice we make, it should support the message of the film without contributing to harmful patterns.

Literature: 

Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices. SAGE.

hooks, b. (1992). Black looks: Race and representation. South End Press.

Plantinga, C. (2009). Moving viewers: American film and the spectator’s experience. University of California Press.