Yohannes Mulat Mekonnen

I am a Visual Anthropology Fellow at the Global Heritage Lab, where I am establishing an audio-visual workshop. My responsibilities include producing audio-visual ethnographies and facilitating their integration as research methodologies into both fieldwork and academic projects. I work closely with researchers and students, assisting them in adopting audio-visual tools and narrative strategies to enhance their qualitative inquiries and storytelling.

My research interests lie at the intersection of critical media studies, the politics of representation, and decolonial methodologies. Drawing on my background in visual arts and training in anthropology, I employ representation both as a narrative tool and as a mode of analysis. This dual approach allows me to develop practices that make visible the epistemological and political inconsistencies inherent in colonial representations, with a particular focus on museum and heritage studies.

My work centers on two thematic areas, the first being the institutionalization of reflexivity. I investigate how ethnographic practices, from fieldwork to museum curation, integrate critical reflexivity into their representational praxis. My research includes case studies on institutions such as the Humboldt Forum and the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum, analyzing their evolving strategies to employ reflexivity to support their effort in finding an ethical term of engagement with colonial legacy and collection and its practical shortcomings.

Another key area of my research examines the relationship between representation, gaze, and prejudice, particularly how the portrayal of minority groups impacts their self-perception.

I research how minorities actively construct counter-gazes to challenge dominant visual and representational narratives. My work examines the mechanisms of resistance they employ and how these strategies enable them to assert agency, reclaim representational dignity, and negotiate their identities despite prejudicial framing.

Further details about my work and research can be found on my website. www.yohannesmekonnen.com