Taidetta ja tutkimusta näyttelyssä

Kuinka valokuvat yhdistyvät kielellisiin elämäkertoihin?

Authors

• Kaarina Mononen Helsingin yliopisto
• Hanna Lappalainen Helsingin yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30660/afinla.84523

Keywords:

linguistic biography, photographic art

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe how linguistic biographies and photographic art complement each other in an exhibition. The exhibition was part of a project on biographies that were collected through conducting interviews, and some of the interviewees were subsequently photographed. The photos and written summaries that were based on the interviews were displayed together. This article discusses how photos are interpreted in relation to biographies. The data consist of the learning diaries of the students who visited the exhibition, interviews with the photographer and with some of those who were photographed. The linguistically oriented content analysis reveals that the interpretations of the photos were predominantly based on where the photographs were taken as well as on the appearance of the person in the photo. The informants also connected their observations to the use of languages and language attitudes of the interviewees who were photographed. In addition, the article analyses how the photographer discusses his choices of place and setting during the process of constructing linguistic biographies.