Desafiando el poder institucional de la frontera: El videoensayo como herramienta crítica en la obra de Ursula Biemann

María Luz Ruiz Bañón

doi:10.31637/epsir-2024-819

Authors

María Luz Ruiz Bañón University of Murcia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6660-6895

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2024-819

Keywords:

border, institutional power, video essay, Ursula Biemann, structural violence, humanisation, liminal spaces, resignification, violencia estructural, humanización, espacio liminal, resignificación

Abstract

Introduction: Borders are spaces where policies, laws and practices regulating the movement of people, goods and information are exercised. These rules are determined by state and supranational institutions, which impose their control, making borders places where institutional power is tangibly manifested. The artist Ursula Biemann, in her work "Performing the Border", uses the video essay to challenge and critique institutional power structures in these liminal spaces. Methodology: Through the qualitative analysis of the work, the different narrative techniques implemented to generate this critique have been analysed. Results: The study makes visible how the artist highlights the inhuman conditions and structural violence faced by people on the border, inviting critical reflection. Discussions: The work relates to other studies that highlight the video essay as a tool for institutional critique, border resignification, and social activism. Conclusions: “Performing the Border” not only documents these realities, but also offers a profound critique that challenges institutional power structures, highlighting the importance of art and the video essay as tools for questioning and transforming power structures in contemporary societies.

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Author Biography

María Luz Ruiz Bañón, University of Murcia

María Luz Ruiz Bañón is a visual artist, PhD in fine arts and professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Murcia, where she has specialized in the intersection of artistic practice, art theory and cultural criticism. Throughout her career, she has contributed significantly to the study of the relationship between art and society, focusing on how visual and textual discourses shape cultural, spatial and temporal perception. Ruiz Bañón has published numerous articles and essays exploring everything from teaching innovation or feminist theory to postcolonial criticism. In addition, she has actively participated in national and international conferences, sharing her research and innovative perspectives in the field of art and culture.

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