Abstract

Stereotypes are useful, allowing us to quickly register, read and categorize our world. These constructed simplifications are reinforced and scattered throughout our culture, largely through the mass accumulation of visual, systemic and interactive representations created by the media producers that we, at BTK, are busy building or becoming. This series takes a critical look at the encyclopedic barrage of subtle (and at times not so subtle) simplifications about gender, body, sexuality, identity, race, age, nationality, ability (this list never ends) in our media-driven culture. When left unchecked, this collective flow of ‘pictures’ form the conscious and unconscious biases that lay the foundation for generational, institutional and commercial prejudice, and discrimination.
Six invited lecturers, representing a variety of the BTK disciplines, offer diverse perspectives on stereotypes prevalent in our creative practice, in our educational system and in our professional industry.
All lectures are held in English at the BTK University of Art and Design Berlin Campus, except Till Penzek on 14.12, who will be in German at the BTK Hamburg Campus.