The 2023 Vision and Difference Symposium, hosted by the Institute for the Study of Sexuality and Gender at Columbia University, brought together an interdisciplinary cohort to explore the evolution of feminist and queer theories and practices of visuality over the last decades of the 20th century to the present.
Led by Professor Marianne Hirsch, William Peterfield Trent Professor Emerita, participants delved into classic and contemporary works through an array of mediums including film, photography, performance, and activism. Participants engaged with seminal texts and artworks while navigating the complexities of gender, race, class, and sexuality.
The culmination of this was the 2023 Vision and Difference Symposium, held on December 5, 2023 where students presented their final projects. These projects, ranging from photographic essays to critical analyses of film narratives, embodied the diverse perspectives and methodologies explored throughout the course.
The students created a website for the symposium, where viewers are able to explore the projects and delve into the vibrant tapestry of feminist and queer visual narratives. You can visit the website here: https://scalar.usc.edu/works/vision-and-difference/index