Reimagining Past Histories and Experiences through Performative Photography and Auto-ethnography

Abstract

This article discusses an autoethnographic exploration within artistic research underpinned by performativity and temporality in photography. Inspired by a childhood photograph depicting the author's Danish grandfather, and a story about his ongoing chess through postal mail upon migrating to Argentina, the study explores the affective and performative power of photography and chess to re-imagine a personal narrative. By decentering the artist researcher’s voice, the work reveals the materiality and layers of temporal gap in the act of reimagining the past. This article contributes to the artistic through an innovative autoethnographic inquiry emerging within the transformative space integral to art practice.