Photographic dissemination of historic landscape as a tool for citizenship

ABSTRACT

The article analyses the role of photography in communities’ knowledge and interpretation of historic landscape. Focus is placed on the work of photographic landscape observatories within the European framework, on issues regarding their active development at the present time, and on their effectiveness and presence in tasks related to raising awareness. The UNESCO definitions of Historic Urban Landscape and Cultural Landscape and their revisions launched a debate about the need to document and disseminate landscape —through several media— as strategies to promote reflection among the inhabitants of a region. Since the European Landscape Convention, groups, institutions, and organisations have worked towards encouraging citizen participation in the reflection on the territorial changes brought about by industrialisation, tourism, and urban growth. Along these lines, it is worth looking into the type of methodologies and tools available in photographic observatories and their ability to connect local experience with expert knowledge on historic landscape.T

KEYWORDS:

• Historic landscape
• citizenship
• photography
• landscape observatory
• digital technologies
• rephotography
• Balearic Islands

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. With the support of the special action ‘Heritage in image, tourism and landscape. OFP Mallorca web and computer application for mobile devices’ (EEO75/2017), granted by competitive tender by the Directorate General of Innovation and Research of the Government of the Balearic Islands.

2. Android app available on: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ofp.balear.io

3. IOS app available on: https://apps.apple.com/es/app/ofp/id1441537378

Additional information

Funding

The present article is part of the research project I+D: HAR2016-77135-P. Programa Estatal de Fomento de la Investigación Científica de Excelencia (Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad. Gobierno de España. Fondos Feder. Agencia Estatal de Investigaciín).

Notes on contributors

Maria-Josep Mulet Gutiérrez

Maria-Josep Mulet Gutiérrez is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Historical Sciences & Art Theory, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB). She is director of the Master’s Degree in Cultural Heritage: Research and Management and of the Audio-visual Heritage, Mass-media and Illustration research group (UIB). She is specialist in contemporary art and audio-visual heritage.

Joan Carles Oliver Torelló

Joan Carles Oliver Torelló is Professor at the Department of Historical Sciences & Art Theory and member of the Audiovisual Heritage, Mass-media and Illustration research group at the University of the Balearic Islands. He is also member of the Drawing and Project research group at the University of Granada. His research focuses on history of photography and contemporary art.

María Sebastián Sebastián

María Sebastián Sebastián is Professor at the Department of Historical Sciences & Art Theory and member of the Audiovisual Heritage, Mass-media and Illustration Research Group, University of the Balearic Islands. Her research focuses on contemporary architecture and history of tourism architecture and its relationship with photography.