The research project “Picturing Migrants’ Lives” analyzes the photographic representations of Yugoslav labour migration in Austria of the 1970s and 80s. The first-time critical analysis of the photographic legacy of Yugoslav photographer Jovan Ritopečki (1923–1989) forms the departure point of this study. In this effort, it closes an evident research gap, since the visual worlds brought forth by this history have not been scientifically examined to date, nor have the photographic sources relating to the topic been systematically processed. With the establishment of a freely accessible digital collection, the history of the everyday life of Yugoslav migrants in Austria will be furthermore communicated and made accessible to a broader public. The project will be integrated into the virtual Visual Archive Southeastern Europe (VASE – https://gams.uni-graz.at/context:vase). VASE is a scientifically curated and arranged collection of historical and contemporary photographs, postcards and film posters from the Southeast European region, which is realized in the Humanities Asset Management GAMS (https://gams.uni-graz.at).
Financed by the Austrian Science Fund, Project number T 1083-G
