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Since 2015 Sebastian Scholz is Assistant Professor Media Studies at Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam.
From 2010 to 2015 he worked as Assistant Professor in the Media Studies department at University of Amsterdam (UvA). Prior to that he was a fellow of the DFG (German Research Foundation) Graduate School "Topology of Technology" at Darmstadt University of Technology as well as visiting scholar at University of Siegen and Braunschweig University of Art (HBK Braunschweig) and research assistant at Ruhr University Bochum.

Member of
GESELLSCHAFT FÜR MEDIENWISSENSCHAFT (GfM)
EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR CINEMA AND MEDIA STUDIES (NECS)
CLUE+ Interfaculty Research Institue for Culture, Cognition, History and Heritage (CLUE+)
Staff Member RESEARCH SCHOOL FOR MEDIA STUDIES (RMeS)
THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR AESTHETICS (ESA)

Research

Current research on 'SensorMedia' and Technocultures of Tracking

Broader areas of research comprise
genealogies and epistemologies of the visible; 
intersections of media and science & technology studies; 
aesthetics and politics of self-tracking and sensor-media;
environmental media; media theory & algorithmic governmentality.

Research-related papers & invited lectures (selected)

"Sensor-Media-Environments as Onto-Epistemological Challenge"
RMeS Conference "All about Media? The Future of Media Studies", LAB 111, Amsterdam, 09.-10.11.2023.

"Nocturnal Self-Care: Sleep-Tracking-Devices and Sensor-Media ‘Care Structures’"
NECS Conference 2023: "Care", Oslo/Norway, 13.-17.06.2023.

"Sensor-Medien-Umwelten und/als Technoökologien des Wahrnehmens"
(UN)ENDING SENSING. Abschlussveranstaltung des Forschungskollegs zum Wissen sensibler Medien, ZeM Brandenburgisches Zentrum für Medienwissenschaften, Potsdam/Germany, 07.07.2023.

“Die Arbeit der Nacht. Sleep-Tracking als Gouvernementale Medientechnologie.”
Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Medienwissenschaft 2022: Arbeit, Martin Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale, 28.09.-1.10.2022.

"Sensor-Media-Environments as Experimental Systems: Medianaturecultural Aspects of Putting 'Nature' to the Test."
CRC Annual Conference 2022 (SFB1187): "Testing in the Wild: Publics, Practices, and Infrastructures", Universität Siegen, 19.09.-21.09.2022.

“’Upside down you’re turning me…’: Re-Orienting Television Ratio(nality) or The Virtue of Verticality.”
NECS 2020 International Conference: Transitions: Moving Images and Bodies, University of Palermo, Italy, 18.-20.06.2020 [POSTPONED DUE TO CORONA CRISIS]

“SensorMedia – as object and concept.”
Invited Lecture: RMeS (Research School for Media Studies), Research Master Course: ‘Trending Topics – Engaging Objects’ , Amsterdam, 28.02.2020

“Media of ‘Making-Evident’: Epistemic Images and the ‘Problem’ of Inscription.”
Practicing Evidence – Evidencing Practice. How is (Scientific) Knowledge Validated, Valued and Contested? International Conference and Pre-Conference Workshop. Carl Friedrich von Siemens Stiftung, DFG Research Group 2448, Munich, Germany, 18.-21.02. 2020

„Tatort als kulturelles Phänomen.“ (invited lecture)
50 Jahre Tatort, Duitsland-Instituut / Goethe-Institut Amsterdam, 12.01.2020

“Ökologien der Wahrnehmung. Zur medialen Onto-Epistemologie des Sensors.“
GfM 2019 - Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Medienwissenschaft: ‚Materialitäten‘, University of Cologne, Germany, 25.-28.09.2019

“Stating as-is? Sensor-Media and the Non-Narrative Narration of the Contemporary.”
NECS International Conference:  Structures and Voices: Storytelling in Post-Digital Times, University of Gdańsk, Poland, 13.-15.06.2019

“Sensor and Sensibility. SensorMedia as aesthetic and epistemological challenge”
Invited Lecture at University College Utrecht, The Digital Citizen: Mapping Spheres of Change, Utrecht, 23.04.2019

“Reiterations of NOW. Sensor-Media and the genealogy of ‘The Contemporary Condition’”
XVII. International Film Studies Spring School: Moving Pictures, Living Machines: Automation, Animation and the Imitation of Life in Cinema and Media, Gorizia, Italy, 21.-26.03.2019

“Connect Capture Calibrate. Media environments for the Sensor-Self”
Digital Cultures : Knowledge/Culture/Technology. International Conference, Leuphana Universität  Lüneburg, 19.-22.09.2018

“Dis/Integrating Media Environments: Sensing in Algorithmic Culture”
NECS International Conference:  Media Tactics and Engagement, UvA/VU Amsterdam, 27.-29.06.2018

“The Powers of the ‘Stack’? Self-Tracking as BioPolitical Feedback Loop”
XVI. International Film Studies Spring School: Technologies of Power / Power of Technology, Gorizia, 03.-07.03.2018

“Mediated Imaginations – Imagined Mediations”
Kunstlicht Launch Event , LIMA Media Art Platform Amsterdam, 08.02.2018

“Cloud Competing: Media Infrastructures of Self-Tracking Culture”
Global Culture of Competition:  Rankings, Benchmarks, Ratings as / in Popular Media. Symposium Universiteit van Amsterdam, 18.-19.01.2018

“Beauty of Another Order : The Intimate Image World of F. Percy Smith”
InScience: International Science Film Festival, Nijmegen, 08.-12.11.2017

“Bio/Feedback/Loop: Self-Tracking and the Ecology of Affect in Algorithmic Culture”
ECREA – Philosophy of Communication Conference: Communication, Art, Media: Probing Impacts and Intersections, Lisbon, 13.-15.10.2017

“Making Visible: On ‚Epistemic Images‘”
Invited Lecture at University College Utrecht, 07.10.2016

 Conference & Workshop Co-Organizer

Media Archaeology section: ‘Ecologies of Perception’ - XVIII MAGIS International Spring School: Living in the Material World: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Past and Present Media Ecologies, Gorizia, Italy, 28.-31.03.2020 [POSTPONED DUE TO CORONA CRISIS]

Media Archaeology section: 'Hands of Time: On Media Temporalities'  - XVII. International Film Studies Spring School: Moving Pictures, Living Machines: Automation, Animation and the Imitation of Life in Cinema and Media, Gorizia, Italy, 23.-26.03.2019

NECS International Conference:  Media Tactics and Engagement, UvA/VU Amsterdam, 27.-29.06.2018

Media Sports and World Building. Workshop / Master class, Universiteit van Amsterdam, 25.06.2018

 Chair & Moderation

Media Archaeology workshop section: Hands of Time: On Media Temporalities  - XVII. International Film Studies Spring School: Moving Pictures, Living Machines: Automation, Animation and the Imitation of Life in Cinema and Media, Gorizia, Italy, 23.-26.03.2019
(panel chair)

NECS 2018 Conference:  Media Tactics and Engagement, UvA/VU Amsterdam, 27.-29.06.2018 (keynote lecture & panels)

Media Sports and World Building. Workshop / Master class, Universiteit van Amsterdam, 25.06.2018 (workshop)

NECS 2017 Conference:  Sensibility & the Senses: Media Bodies Practices, Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris, 29.06.-01.07.2017 (panel)

International Conference: Critical Theory in the Humanities: Resonances of the Work of Judith Butler, VU Amsterdam, 05.-07.04.2017 (panel)

Education

Sebastian Scholz got his PhD [SUMMA CUM LAUDE] in Media Studies from Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (Germany).
Dissertation on media (onto)epistemologies of processes of 'making visible', titled:
"Das Bild als Epistemisches Ding. Mediale Epistemologien wissenschaftlicher Sichtbarmachung 1900/2000".

The project traces interconnections of (produced) visibility, knowledge, and media as embodied in the uses of late 19th century microphotography and contemporary imaging procedures. The notion of ‘epistemic images’ as media of knowledge production is being explored in order to posit that a ‘media (onto)epistemology’ of scientific image cultures is required which is able to take laboratory imaging practices and the becoming-media of instruments into account. Procedures and discourses of ‘making visible’ are analyzed to demonstrate their dependence on contingent media premises, changing historical contexts and technological conditions.

Scholz holds an MA degree in Media Studies (thesis on visual cultures of surveillance and control) and a BA degree in Film, and Televison Studies (thesis on the production of a sense of 'authenticity' and visible evidence in the history of pornography) from Ruhr University Bochum (Germany).

Teaching

Sebastian Scholz teaches and coordinates courses on both BA (MKDA - media, art, design, architecture) and MA (CAMS - Comparative Arts and Media Studies) level. He is currently coordinator of the MKDA media track.

In the BA programme he is currently coordinator of the courses
"MKDA Historisch Overzicht: Modern 1800-1950" (1rst year)
"Historiography of Media" (2nd year) 
"Buitenlandse Excursie Media & Design: Berlijn" (2nd year)
and co-teaching:
"The Postmedium Condition" (2nd year)
"Mediating Environments" (2nd year)
 
In the MA programme he is teaching and coordinating
"Media Aesthetics (after the media)" 

As a guest lecturer he contributes to the courses
"Film & Media History",
"History of Knowledge",  
"MKDA Historisch Overzicht: Hedendaags"

Grants

Fellowship Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (German National Academic Foundation)

PhD-Fellowship DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft / German Research Foundation), 2007-10: Graduate School "Topologie der Technik"(TU Darmstadt)

Open Access publication of the monograph "Epistemische Bilder" funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Fördervorhaben 16TOA002)

Ancillary activities

No ancillary activities

Ancillary activities are updated daily

Academic qualification

Media Studies, PhD, Das Bild als epistemisches Ding. Mediale Epistemologien wissenschaftlicher Sichtbarmachung 1900/2000, Goethe University Frankturt

Award Date: 30 Oct 2017

Media Studies, Master, CTRL_[picture/image].Bilder der Kontrollgesellschaft., Ruhr Universität Bochum

Film and Television Studies, Bachelor, Ruhr Universität Bochum

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