ABRACADABRA – THE POWER OF VISUALS AND WORDS (ONLINE)

This course explores how art, language, and symbols have been used to create myths, shape fears, and mark groups as “other.” Based on three popular lectures from a previous course, it has now been expanded into a full exploration of how visual culture has been used to demonize, exclude, and control.

We will examine how Jews, witches, Sodomy, and the devil have appeared in Western art, focusing on the use of images in religious, political, and cultural propaganda. Through works by artists like Goya, Salvator Rosa, and others, participants will explore how images helped shape persecution, moral panic, and cultural memory.

Topics include:

• Antisemitism in visual culture
• The image of the witch and the female body
• The devil in art and theology
• The portrayal of sodomy in history and art

Participants will leave the course with a deeper awareness of how words and images construct power—and how art can both reflect and challenge systems of oppression.

The course is given in collaboration with Paideia – The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden.

Course structure

Lecture and image analysis, with space for discussion and reflection make up the course structure. Participants will be encouraged to engage critically with historical artworks and contemporary connections.

Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

No prior knowledge about the subject is needed. Application is open to anyone interested in culture, politics, identity, and how images shape reality.

To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom. The school offers Zoom manuals and a training opportunity before the start of the course.

Course material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the teacher

Roei Derhi is a fashion designer and lecturer specializing in the intersection of fashion, art, and cultural history. He has worked with institutions across Europe and the Middle East, and his teaching focuses on how visual culture creates meaning, identity, and power structures. His recent research focuses on antisemitism and the politics of representation in visual media.

Photo: Witches going to their Sabbath (1878) by Luis Ricardo Falero