Dynamis of the Image

Book excerpt: Images are not neutral conveyors of messages that are sent around the globe in order to reach a global audience. They represent a force that can trigger very different reactions and counteract new visual tendencies towards hegemony within a global world. The volume contains a compilation of case studies from the media, art, political and religious sciences, as well as from anthropology and the natural sciences. By focusing on the power of images outside their use in the media, the authors venture into new territory: the contributions from Hans Belting, Georges Didi-Huberman, W.J.T. Mitchell and others provide proof that globalization is not the same as homogenization, and that images are very capable of opening paths towards alternative facts in order to portray the future.