Dr. Sharon Sliwinski

Professor

Biography

Sharon Sliwinski is an interdisciplinary scholar working at the intersection of visual studies, cultural history, and psychosocial studies. She has written extensively on topics including photography, human rights, and the social imaginary, while engaging directly with artists, activists, and institutions involved in human rights struggles. Sliwinski is the founding director of the Museum of Dreams, a research hub dedicated to exploring the social and political significance of dream life. Her recent publication, 'Alphabet Dreamers: See the World Through Eyes Closed' (MIT Press, October 2025), offers a unique view of dreaming as a world-making activity. She has authored several books including 'Dreaming Dark' (2017), 'Mandela's Dark Years' (2015), and the award-winning 'Human Rights Camera' (2011). In addition to her written works, Sliwinski hosts a podcast series titled 'Guardians of Sleep', which examines the integral role of dreaming in processing waking life struggles. She is recognized as a member of the College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada and has held fellowships at Saarland University and Birkbeck, University of London.

Research Interests

Courses

CA 3210 Creative Practice-Led Research CA 4410 Industry Placement FIMS 9608 Ways of Seeing, Ways of Listening FIMS 9800 Introduction to Doctoral-Level Scholarship MEDIASTU 9230 Special Topic: Psychoanalysis and Image MEDIASTU 9231 Representing the Human MEDIASTU 9233 Special Topic: Politics and Aesthetics MEDIASTU 9236 Special Topic: Dreaming and Thinking MIT 1200 Media and Society MIT 2150 Media, Representation, and Identity MIT 2404 Introduction to Visual Cultural Studies MIT 274 Introduction to Visual Culture Studies MIT 3221 Photography, Politics, and History MIT 363 History of Photography MIT 3772 Special Topics in MIT: Human Rights and Media MIT 4030 Special Topics in MIT: Radical Imaginary MIT 4035 Psychoanalysis and Image MIT 4036 Special Topics in MIT: Psychoanalysis and Image MIT 4038 Special Topics in MIT: Radical Imaginary