Scholar in Residence 2025
INDEX - Winter 2025
1 – 28 February 2025
Karolina Gembara is a PhD candidate at the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School (Poland). Her interdisciplinary practice combines artistic expression and academic inquiry to explore themes of migration, the notion of home, care, and the complex relationships between humans and animals.
During the residence, Karolina aimed to investigate the unprecedented presence of animals—particularly cats and dogs—in traditional news and social media coverage of Russia’s war against Ukraine. She was especially interested in examining how animals contribute to shaping the image of Ukrainian soldiers and what broader roles they play in the cultural and emotional narratives surrounding the war.
During the residence, Karolina aimed to investigate the unprecedented presence of animals—particularly cats and dogs—in traditional news and social media coverage of Russia’s war against Ukraine. She was especially interested in examining how animals contribute to shaping the image of Ukrainian soldiers and what broader roles they play in the cultural and emotional narratives surrounding the war.