Researching Visual Manifestations of Border Spaces and Experiences: Conceptual and Methodological Perspectives

The past several decades, significant theoretical, epistemological and methodological changes occurred in border research. In addition to their traditional territorial geo-political conception, borders now manifest themselves in more abstract and symbolic dimensions within geopolitical borderlands and beyond, in different cultural settings, and through a diversity of interpersonal and inter-group encounters. This article contributes to border research by proposing to study manifestations of borders and border experiences, using a variety of visual research methods. While the field of visual research itself has become vast and multidisciplinary, applications with respect to border studies remain quite limited. Yet, borders have spread and diversified, and searching for their concrete materializations, as well as involving people to share their border-related experiences, are ways to make them more tangible. Therefore, this contribution presents a systematic account of ways to use visuals and visual media to produce and trigger data and insights on border related matters.