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Volume 10, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 2633-3732
  • E-ISSN: 2633-3740

Abstract

The visual is central to global politics. Over the past two decades, scholars in the field of international relations have increasingly recognized and examined the numerous and complex ways in which the visual, the political and the international are intertwined. They have scrutinized how a diverse range of global political phenomena – from war, diplomacy and development to election campaigns and refugee policies – are shaped by images and visual artefacts, such as photographs, film, videogames, satellite images, art, surveillance technologies, monuments and architecture. The purpose of this commentary is two-fold. First: I overview this bourgeoning body of literature on visuality in international relations. I discuss the emergence and evolution of this field of research, drawing attention to the significance of the ensuing contributions. Second: I highlight three key challenges that lie ahead: understanding the changing relationship between visuality and digitalization; embarking on more cross-disciplinary inquires; decolonizing research on visual communication. I end with highlighting that understanding the role of visuality goes far beyond appreciating the political impact of images. Visuality goes to the very core of politics because it shapes how we – as individuals and as collectives – see, perceive and enact the political world around us.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Australian Research Council (Award LP200200046)
© 2023 Intellect Ltd
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/content/journals/10.1386/jvpc_00022_1
2023-04-24
2026-02-10
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/content/journals/10.1386/jvpc_00022_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): aesthetics; digitalization; globalization; images; international relations; visual politics

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