FRANK MOHR INSTITUTE

MFA PAINTING 2021/2022

ROUND TABLE – NR. 2

Date: Tuesday, October 12, 10:00 – 12:00

Location: P1.02, Praediniussingel

Subject: Images that Happen

Source: Belting, H., 2005. Image, Medium, Body: A New Approach to Iconology. The
University of Chicago. Critical Inquiry (31).

Hans Belting is a German art historian and visual theorist who writes about image theory and its
relationship to the art object and the body. Belting uses an anthropological approach to explain art
history and the relationship people have with images and image making. In his text Image, Medium,
Body: A New Approach to Iconology Belting postures that “[images] do not exist by themselves, but
happen; they take place whether they are moving images …or not” (302). The text claims to serve as
a new way of understanding the way in which we look at images and the processes that happen
when we do.

Belting creates a distinction between the image and the medium and asserts a relationship between
the two which is connected through the body. The body, according to Belting, acts as the true
medium of the image. It is the site in which visuality is consumed, transferred and understood. For
Belting, the image does not really exist until it has been engaged with by the body and our
understanding of art and art objects have largely marginalised this aspect from contemporary
iconology.

Reading:
-Read the text by Hans Belting carefully and consider the ideas posited by it.
-Make notes as you read the text; about things that are unclear to you, questions you may have,
ideas that come to mind, supporting or objecting to the ideas (or anything in between). It is
important to come to the round table prepared and bring these notes, so you can use and speak
from them during the conversation.

Some questions which might help to think about while reading the text, and which we may address
in the conversation:
- How does the body act as a medium in the act of looking?
- Does the ideas set out by Belting about our understanding of images clarify, sustain or change
anything about your role and understanding of yourself as an image maker?
- If the medium of an image is merely a transferable element to the artwork, how do you approach
medium specific works that “turn against their images and steal our attention away” (Belting, 305)?

Writing Assignment
This time you will hand in a contribution after we had the round table. Write a response (appr. 600
words) to the ideas set out by Belting, in which you also consider some of the notions discussed
during the conversation. Consider formulating an argument for your own ideas about the subject.

Please upload your responses to the RT-folder on Sharepoint before Saturday 16 October. Your text
will be read and commented upon, so please hand it in on time.

Looking forward to your responses,

Margo Slomp & Michal Kruger