Prospective Perspective: Visual Anthropology and/as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Serbia

Abstract

Although only recently recognized by the Serbian government (in 2010), intangible cultural heritage constitutes an indispensable part of anthropological research programs in Serbia. We juxtapose current Serbian national and socio-anthropological practices toward ICH and discuss the importance of these practices for the safeguarding of this heritage. Furthermore, we focus on visual anthropology and visual ethnography to explore the possibilities, benefits and limitations of visual technologies in the safeguarding process. Last, we apply the idea of the humanities and social sciences as ICH (and not only the organized exploration of it) to visual anthropology in order to merge the gap between the decontextualization of ICH and its safeguarding.