Martin Gruber, University of Bremen
Friday 10th October 10.00 – 12.00
“Multimodal anthropology encompasses anthropological research that incorporates different modes such as written text, audio recordings, video, photography, websites, social media, as well as artistic, curatorial and performative practices. Moreover it has been defined as an anthropology that engages in public anthropology and collaborative anthropology through different media platforms (Collins, Durington, und Gill 2017). While my research has been multimodal from the outset due to its various audiovisual and collaborative elements, I decided to combine audiovisual and sensory outcomes of my research with written elements. This experiment resulted in two multimedia websites which are aimed at conveying anthropological research not only to academic audiences but also to general audiences.”
‘The website “Sensing Bees” is an integral part of my research on humans and honeybees. It combines films, short research videos and photographs with text. Its focus is on the sensory and emotional dimensions of the encounter. ‘
The website “Walking Windhoek” is the outcome of a three day long “Walkshop”, an investigation into the postcolonial urban space of Windhoek organized by visual artist Frauke Stegmann of the University of Namibia. I collaboratively designed and curated a website bringing together visual stories that the participants created to represent their individual experiences.
Martin Gruber is an anthropologist and filmmaker at the Department of Anthropology and Cultural Research at the University of Bremen. Currently Martin conducts ethnographic research on the relationships between humans and honeybees in Cameroon, Japan and Germany. He teaches social and visual anthropology on undergraduate and graduate levels. Martin studied Visual Anthropology at Goldsmiths College, London and Social Anthropology at Hamburg University.
Martin’s research interests are audio-visual research methods, ethnographic film, collaborative research, urban anthropology, political ecology and human-animal relationships with a focus on bees. Martin has conducted long-term ethnographic research in West Africa, Southern Africa, Bremen and Hamburg. Martin recently published the handbook Sharing the Camera: A Guide to Collaborative Ethnographic Filmmaking.
NAFA 2025 