Migration, Flight, and Exile – Modes of (Un-)Seeing Epistemic and Sexualized Violence

In the context of migration, flight, and exile, various forms of epistemic, physical, and psychological violence emerge and are often expressed through images. Particularly, reproduced and circulated representations of (sexualized) violence in the media confront viewers with epistemological, ethical, and aesthetic challenges. This paper aims to examine selected theories at the intersection of Image Studies, Gender Studies, and Religious Studies to critically analyze the notion of the (in)representability of (sexualized) violence in images. Key questions addressed include the epistemic limits of what can be visually (re-)presented, the ethics of seeing, visual standardizations of (sexualized) violence, as well as the structural violence inherent in the ‘Western’, Christian, Eurocentric system of (re-)presentation and orders of images. The primary focus lies on theoretical approaches that facilitate the transcendence of the re-inscription of violence in the image, moving beyond the affective passivity of viewers perceiving media coverage on the themes of migration, flight, and exile.