The Danish-Swedish research network, SatiReNet, launched earlier this year, seeks to delve into the complexities of modern satire to address controversies and reshape standard perceptions. “Among our goals is to pioneer the world’s first international satire research network”, says Ida Klitgård, one of the project’s leaders.
In the wake of the 2015 terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo, satire has emerged as one of the most publicly debated forms of artistic expression in the Western world.
– Subsequently, we’ve observed how oversimplified interpretations of satirical works, rooted in a reductionist view of satire as easily digestible, lead to tensions and misunderstandings, notices Ida Klitgård.
Klitgård and Michael Eigtved are at the helm of a new research project, the Satire Research Network (SatiReNet). Launched earlier this year, SatiReNet aims at understanding and explaining the complexities of ethics and aesthetics in satire.
Eigtvedt elaborates: “Our network hopes to redefine the nature of satire by delving into its hybrid tensions, such as the interplay between outward and inward critique, fiction and truth-telling, play and critique, moral restraints and licence, engagement and detachment”.
The project centres around three research themes:
Satire and Image: Within this theme, researchers will investigate the commonly presumed clarity of graphic satire, particularly focusing on cartoon caricatures.
Satire and Performance: This strand examines the evolving dynamics between performance and audience engagement in satire. It delves into the ethical and aesthetic complexities arising from the interplay of context, theatricality, and audience interpretation within satirical works.
Satire and Knowledge: The third theme aims to scrutinize the intersections of satire and knowledge, specifically exploring how satire can serve to challenge scientific misconceptions and effectively communicate complex ideas.
Nordic Venture with Global Ambition
Along with the project’s leaders, the network includes 11 researchers from Denmark and Sweden.
– The participants are highly regarded in their respective fields, having established themselves as leading researchers in the Nordic region and the relatively specialised research domain of satire and humour, says Klitgård.
While leveraging the diverse perspectives and backgrounds of participants from Nordic countries, the network also seeks to attract scholars globally and position itself as an international partnership at the forefront of satire research. Collaboration with museums, television companies, newspapers, media organisations, and the comedy industry will ensure a comprehensive approach.
Interested in learning more? Visit the project’s website.
Researchers Involved
Project leaders:
Ida Klitgård, Associate Professor, Department for Communication and Arts, Roskilde University
Michael Eigtved, Associate Professor, Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, University of Copenhagen
Other researchers:
Dennis Meyhoff Brink, Postdoc, Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, University of Copenhagen
Frederik Stjernfelt, Professor, Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University
Hannibal Munk, Lecturer, Department for Communication and Arts, Roskilde University
Joanna Doona, Associate Senior Lecturer, Media and Communication Studies, Lund University
Jonas Lindkvist, PhD Candidate, Film Studies, Lund University
Lilian Munk Rösing, Lecturer, Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, University of Copenhagen
Lita Lundquist, Professor Emeritus, Department of Business Humanities and Law, Copenhagen Business School
Martin Zerlang, Emeritus, Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, University of Copenhagen
Orla Vigsø, Professor, Department of Journalism, Media and Communications, University of Gothenburg
Sara Ödmark, Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Communication, Quality Management and Information Systems (KKI), Mid Sweden University
Tommy Bruhn, Tenure Track Assistant Professor, University of Copenhagen
Photo Scanpix, Dominique Faget.