Medial representations are unavaoidable, as they come into existance as soon as media describe whatever topic: they need to represent it in some way or other. This relates to signs and their use, with an emphasis on the changing meaning of signs that results from using them (Semiosis). Constructions of cultural identity come into existence in communications and that is usually done in (mass-)medial representations.Of special interest to me are the uses of signs for the expression of cultural identity. This can be researched by looking on all kinds of signs, I started to look into Welsh lovespoons and Clustnodau, a system of earmarks on sheep that allows to allocate free-roaming individual sheep to their farms.

Very obvious become the ways in which medial representations work when looking at ideas of "Countryside", landscape, living in the country, and its medial representations / constructions. The focus with this issue is on cultural images and values that refer to or build on this theme - most central is the way it is coded in visual media: how are landscaps constructed in individual media and what meanings are ascribed to landscapes. For mapping and photography a introductory discussion is presented in my paper "Landschaftsabbildungen ..." (in German) published in Literaturen Medien Grenzgänge, 2013.

Obviously, Brexit is a prime example for looking into constructions of cultural identity and their effects on societies - as societies always consist of many more than one culture. Looking into this let to the paper Brexit and the post-imperial trauma of withdrawal presented together with Richard Stinshoff in 2016.

Representations of race/ethnicity are complex, as so many factors play into these from all sides - their cultural construction and twists in reading these get more obvious when looking into specific examples. I have tried to explain by looking into a few examples in comics, but the processes and positions are applicable to all kinds of media: “Narrative Strategies - African Types and Stereotypes in Comics” on invitation by Basler Afrikabibliografien. The text is scheduled to be published in late 2019.

Puppetry: Character design in puppets and puppetry performances. Various performances with different puppets, one won me the "Brückenturney" der Schlaraffia Flensburgia and Schlaraffia Malmöhus in Flensburg in September 2014. Here is a link to another one.

Religions and their representation in mass-media. References to religions and belief-systems are used as one of the most basic building-blocks for stereotypes, supposedly illustrating social inclusion and exclusion. References to religions are used in public debate for all kinds of purposes, some of these I discussed in a paper on "Defenders of Faith - Multi-Faith-Confessions between Political Tool and Religious Inclusion" at the Annual Conference of the German Association for the Study of British Cultures, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg in 2008.

Violence and prevention of violence: representations of violence and related agency of mass-media. Narrative and social contexts of reporting on violence-related issues allows for deduction of media-production-related interests and conditions that hinder or support addressing violence and violence-prevention (see Galtung and Ruge, and so many others since).

Risk communication - aesthetic representations of risks and dangers. Research project with Immanuel Chi, Pforzheim, focussing on the design of information on dangers and risks, for the prevention of accidents etc.

Here follows a list of selected publications that focus on various aspects of medial representations:

"Brexit and the post-imperial trauma of withdrawal" Paper presented with Richard Stinshoff at conference: In and Out of Europe : British Literary and Cultural Discourses of Europe in the 20th and 21st Centuries, at the kompetenzzentrum kulturelle topografien, Basel 2016.

"Hiraeth? Lovespoons and their cultural qualities - on becoming a symbol of Welshness" (by Christopher Watkins and me. Paper presented at Cultural Politics of Memory Conference, Cardiff, 2014). (forthcoming)

"Landschaftsabbildungen – Landschaftskonstruktionen in Landkarten und Fotografien" in: Barbara von der Lühe, Jakob Dittmar, Frieder Bronner (Hrsg.): Grenzgänge zwischen Literatur und Medien: Festschrift für Friedrich Knilli. Baden-Baden: media consult buscher, 2013; 340-365.

"Die Verklärung der Montanindustrie: Mythisierung und Denkmalpflege." In: Forum Geschichtskultur an Ruhr und Emscher, Stiftung Industriedenkmalpflege und Geschichtskultur (Hrsg.): Forum Industriedenkmalpflege und Geschichtskultur, 2/2009.

"The end of state-control over the brand-image of the nation: Hero-culture and tourism" (by Chrysanthos Vlamis and me; published in Greek). In: Alex Deffner and Nicholas Karachalis (eds.): Marketing and Branding Places: international research and Greek reality. Volos: Thessaly University Press, 2012.

"Erzählungen aus der Fremde - Landnahme durch Abbildung der See in Text und Bild." In: Schwender, Clemens (Hrsg.): Robinson in Weißenfels. Eine Publikation anlässlich der gleichnamigen Ausstellung. Weißenfels 2004; 87-104.

"Gewaltprävention und Massenmedien." In: Landeskommission Berlin gegen Gewalt (Hrsg.): Berliner Forum Gewaltprävention Nr. 21. Dokumentation des 5. Berliner Präventionstages am 3.11.2004. Prävention braucht Öffentlichkeit; 53-56.