A World in Conflict, Images in Conflict
For a long time, Greenland was a blank spot on the map of public attention. Then, suddenly, there was a lot of talk about it: about the island’s strategic location, its natural resources, and its potential significance for the U.S. Memes, images, and stories emerged on social media that turned Greenland into a symbol. Even the question of whether the song “Send in the Clowns” was played during the signing of the agreement between the U.S., Greenland, and Denmark—and whether this was meant to mock Trump—has sparked heated online discussions. Rumors trump facts. It is less the agreement itself than the atmosphere surrounding it that is drawing attention.
For Prof. Dr. Niels Werber, spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) “Transformation of the Popular” at the University of Siegen, this is a vivid example of the theme of the annual conference “Popular Geopolitics.” “Greenland has long played a role as a geopolitical fantasy and is enormously charged with significance.” What’s interesting, he says, is the imagery generated to underpin political claims. “There are cycles of geopolitical popularity. And we’re in one right now.”
Ukraine, Gaza, the Strait of Hormuz, Iran—time and again, public attention turns to specific regions and conflicts. Werber speaks of “battles for visibility” that are played out in the media. Some topics take center stage, while others fade from view. The conference therefore asks why certain geopolitical narratives become particularly successful: Why is it suddenly claimed that Russia wants to restore an empire, that China is becoming a threat, or that a new Cold War is beginning? Such narratives reduce complex situations to catchy images. That is precisely what makes them appealing.
But attention does not arise independently of the media through which it is disseminated. This is the focus of another annual conference, namely that of the SFB “Media of Cooperation”: “Politics of Cooperative Sensing.” Prof. Dr. Carolin Gerlitz, spokesperson for the SFB, explains that the researchers are investigating how people use digital media to perceive what is happening in the world. “We take a praxeological approach,” she says. The focus is on concrete practices of media use and the question of how power is negotiated in the process.
Sensors, platforms, data, and now AI make events visible—or invisible. Especially in times of war, the question arises, “What is made visible and what is obscured?” says Gerlitz. As a result, technology companies, in addition to states, are coming under scrutiny. Whoever controls data, platforms, cloud infrastructure, or AI systems does not merely possess technological resources. Technological power can become political and geopolitical power.
How do we deal with this? Part of the conference is dedicated to practices of resistance and democratic engagement, for example through digital, anti-fascist, or feminist initiatives. The focus is on how academia and universities, together with civil society, can respond to anti-democratic developments. “We must look not only at the big tech companies, but also at what AI can generate and how the actors and media practices are changing,” says Gerlitz.
In this context, emotions can overshadow facts. “Emotions are more powerful and are particularly fueled by platforms,” says Gerlitz. Werber distinguishes between influence and power. Images and narratives can influence what people perceive and what they talk about. However, they do not yet possess power in the strict sense. “Images themselves have no power; they do not force us to do anything.” People can disagree, do their own research, and seek further information.
Thus, the two annual conferences focus not only on territories, resources, and international conflicts, but also on the question of who determines what becomes visible, which stories receive attention, and how political significance arises from them.
As part of the annual conference of the SFB Medien der Kooperation, Prof. Dr. Erhard Schüttpelz will deliver his farewell lecture on November 11 at 6:00 p.m. (Obergraben Seminar Center).
