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Invitation to Defense of Tarkan Tek

Defense
Art Theory and Cultural Studies
Online via Zoom

The Institute for Art Theory and Cultural Studies of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna kindly invites you to the Defense of Tarkan Tek’s dissertation project Decolonisation reloaded. The Arab Spring and Decolonization in Tunisia.

TarkanTek.jpg
The memorial shows Mohamed Bouazizi's sales wagon. With his self-immolation Mohamed Bouazizi initiated the Arab Spring.
© Tarkan Tek

The Defense Committee is made up of: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sabeth Buchmann (chair), Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Christian Kravagna (1st supervisor), JunProf. Dr. Jameleddine Ben Abdeljelil (2nd supervisor, PH Ludwigsburg) and Assist. Prof. Dr. Detlev Quintern (external appraiser).

The dissertation „Decolonisation reloaded. The Arab Spring and Decolonization in Tunisia" examines the mostly neglected long-term history of a revolutionary process using the concrete example of Tunisia. Specifically, it investigates whether the 2011 revolution was able to continue the incomplete decolonization of Tunisia.
The Tunisian revolution, which initiated the Arab Spring after the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, became a model for social movements in many countries of the so-called Third World beyond the borders of Tunisia. This means that the revolution also acquired an international significance and changed the history of the region for a long time.
For this dissertation project, postcolonial theory and revolutionary theories will be used for the theoretical part.
In the empirical part, the colonial and neocolonial history of Tunisia is analyzed before researching the concrete changes that occurred as a result of the revolution. For this purpose, the role of the subalterns and the Tunisian periphery for the revolution will be examined.
It will be asked in which areas the revolution has been successful, where it has brought democratization and more freedoms, and which problems remain that will threaten the future of the revolution.
The question of cultural decolonization also plays an important role. For this reason, four documentaries about the Tunisian Spring and its effects were analyzed, focusing on the revolution from different perspectives.

Tarkan Tek lives and works in Vienna.

Please join us for the defense presentation. The event will take place online.

Zoom Meeting Link: https://akbild-ac-at.zoom.us/j/96874831727
Meeting-ID: 968 7483 1727

We are looking forward to welcoming you to the defense.