The exhibition Image Counter Image, at Haus der Kunst, Munich, 10 June – 16 September 2012, presented artistic positions that focus on the critical analysis of violent conflicts in the media, beginning with the First Gulf War of 1990–1991 to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and ending with the events of the Arab Spring of 2011.

Media coverage has changed significantly in the last two decades. Through the Internet and, more recently, via Web 2.0’s social media, communication channels have been expanded to include opportunities for direct peer-to-peer exchange.

Because of their decentralised structures, these channels are difficult to control and are used as an alternative source of reporting on political events (even if the role of social media in crisis remains controversial).

The question remains who, in this changing media landscape, tries to secure control of both the production and interpretation of the content, and what purpose it serves.

English and German text.