Visualizing Genocide examines how creative arts and memory institutions commemorate or ignore colonial histories, using interdisciplinary approaches and decolonizing methods. It includes scholarly essays, poems, artist narratives, and original artworks from various disciplines, offering honest critique and hopeful strategies for the future.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2022
Publisher: University of Arizona Press

Visualizing Genocide examines how creative arts and memory institutions selectively commemorate or often outright ignore stark histories of colonialism. The essays confront outdated narratives and institutional methods by investigating contemporary artistic and scholarly interventions documenting settler colonialisms, including land theft, incarceration, intergenerational trauma, and genocide. Interdisciplinary approaches, including oral histories, exhibition practices, artistic critiques, archival investigations, and public arts, are among the many decolonizing methods incorporated in contemporary curatorial practices. Rather than dwelling simply in celebratory appraisals of Indigenous survival, this unprecedented volume tracks how massacres, disease, removals, abrogated treaties, religious intolerance, theft of land, and relocation are conceived by contemporary academics and artists. Contributors address indigeneity in the United States, Norway, Canada, Australia, and the Caribbean in scholarly essays, poems, and artist narratives. Missions, cemeteries, archives, exhibitions, photography, printmaking, painting, installations, performance, music, and museums are documented by fourteen authors from a variety of disciplines and illustrated with forty-three original artworks. The authors offer honest critique, but in so doing, they give hopeful and concrete strategies for the future. This powerful collection of voices employs Indigenous epistemologies and decolonial strategies, providing essential perspectives on art and visual culture.

Visualizing Genocide: Examining How Creative Arts and Memory Institutions Commemorate or Ignore Stark Histories of Colonialism

Visualizing Genocide is a groundbreaking volume that explores how creative arts and memory institutions selectively commemorate or often outright ignore the stark histories of colonialism. Through a series of essays, the book confronts outdated narratives and institutional methods by investigating contemporary artistic and scholarly interventions that document settler colonialisms, including land theft, incarceration, intergenerational trauma, and genocide. The contributors to this volume come from a diverse range of disciplines, including oral histories, exhibition practices, artistic critiques, archival investigations, and public arts, and they employ a variety of decolonizing methods to address the legacy of colonialism.

One of the key themes of Visualizing Genocide is the way in which massacres, disease, removals, abrogated treaties, religious intolerance, theft of land, and relocation are conceived by contemporary academics and artists. The book challenges the notion that Indigenous survival is solely a matter of celebration and instead highlights the ongoing impact of colonialism on Indigenous communities. By examining these histories, the book seeks to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous peoples and to promote greater awareness and understanding of their experiences.

Visualizing Genocide features contributions from fourteen authors from a variety of disciplines, including oral histories, exhibition practices, artistic critiques, archival investigations, and public arts. The authors offer honest critique of the institutions and practices that have perpetuated colonialism, but they also provide hopeful and concrete strategies for the future. The book is illustrated with forty-three original artworks that provide a visual representation of the stories and experiences that are discussed in the text.

One of the strengths of Visualizing Genocide is its interdisciplinary approach. The book draws on a range of disciplines, including anthropology, history, literature, and art, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the legacy of colonialism. This approach allows the authors to explore the various ways in which colonialism has impacted different communities and to identify the common themes and patterns that have emerged.

Another strength of Visualizing Genocide is its focus on Indigenous epistemologies and decolonial strategies. The book recognizes the importance of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives in understanding the legacy of colonialism and seeks to promote greater recognition and respect for Indigenous cultures and practices. By incorporating Indigenous epistemologies and decolonial strategies into the curatorial practices of museums and other cultural institutions, the book aims to create a more inclusive and equitable space for Indigenous voices and experiences.

Visualizing Genocide is a timely and important book that sheds light on the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous peoples and the need for greater awareness and understanding of their experiences. By examining the ways in which creative arts and memory institutions commemorate or ignore the stark histories of colonialism, the book provides a valuable contribution to the field of art and visual culture.

Visualizing Genocide: Examining How Creative Arts and Memory Institutions Commemorate or Ignore Stark Histories of Colonialism

Visualizing Genocide is a groundbreaking volume that explores how creative arts and memory institutions selectively commemorate or often outright ignore the stark histories of colonialism. Through a series of essays, the book confronts outdated narratives and institutional methods by investigating contemporary artistic and scholarly interventions that document settler colonialisms, including land theft, incarceration, intergenerational trauma, and genocide. The contributors to this volume come from a diverse range of disciplines, including oral histories, exhibition practices, artistic critiques, archival investigations, and public arts, and they employ a variety of decolonizing methods to address the legacy of colonialism.

One of the key themes of Visualizing Genocide is the way in which massacres, disease, removals, abrogated treaties, religious intolerance, theft of land, and relocation are conceived by contemporary academics and artists. The book challenges the notion that Indigenous survival is solely a matter of celebration and instead highlights the ongoing impact of colonialism on Indigenous communities. By examining these histories, the book seeks to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous peoples and to promote greater awareness and understanding of their experiences.

Visualizing Genocide features contributions from fourteen authors from a variety of disciplines, including oral histories, exhibition practices, artistic critiques, archival investigations, and public arts. The authors offer honest critique of the institutions and practices that have perpetuated colonialism, but they also provide hopeful and concrete strategies for the future. The book is illustrated with forty-three original artworks that provide a visual representation of the stories and experiences that are discussed in the text.

One of the strengths of Visualizing Genocide is its interdisciplinary approach. The book draws on a range of disciplines, including anthropology, history, literature, and art, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the legacy of colonialism. This approach allows the authors to explore the various ways in which colonialism has impacted different communities and to identify the common themes and patterns that have emerged.

Another strength of Visualizing Genocide is its focus on Indigenous epistemologies and decolonial strategies. The book recognizes the importance of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives in understanding the legacy of colonialism and seeks to promote greater recognition and respect for Indigenous cultures and practices. By incorporating Indigenous epistemologies and decolonial strategies into the curatorial practices of museums and other cultural institutions, the book aims to create a more inclusive and equitable space for Indigenous voices and experiences.

Visualizing Genocide is a timely and important book that sheds light on the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous peoples and the need for greater awareness and understanding of their experiences. By examining the ways in which creative arts and memory institutions commemorate or ignore the stark histories of colonialism, the book provides a valuable contribution to the field of art and visual culture.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780816542314