I have completed work on a research paper for the forthcoming ASN Convention in New York. The side product of which is this very pleasing, part-handwritten and edited manuscript. The paper explores artistic responses to Ukrainian histories using Lawrence L. Langer’s theories of the literary imagination as a starting point. Exploring debates on memory politics and the visual arts I focus on witness testimony from the Holodomor in the Jerry Berman collection.
I am exploring the role of the artist and the act of witness. Using Geoffrey Hartman’s ideas on “recovered memory,” I argue for the re-embodiment of history using visual arts – data visualization and testimony.
I draw upon a range of techniques from the digital humanities, centring on work by Johanna Drucker and Lev Manovich for theoretical context. The results are a set of work in progress visuals and prototypes, using Drucker’s ideas on the “book” of the future as a guide for interface design.
The final project is due to launch in summer 2026.