Jan BaetensView profile
Professor
Jan Baetens, born in 1957, is a Full Professor at KU Leuven (Belgium) since 2009, specializing in cultural studies with a focus on visual narratives, photography theory, and constrained writing. He directs the university's cultural studies program and collaborates with the Lieven Gevaert Centre for Photography and Visual Studies. Fields of expertise: Contemporary French poetry, Photography theory, Minor visual genres Editorial roles: Founder of journals Formules , FPC , and Image (&) Narrative His research explores the intersection of literary theory and visual culture, emphasizing semiotic analysis and interdisciplinary approaches. Publications analyze hybrid genres like photographic novels, graphic novels, and novelizations, with a particular focus on formal constraints in creative processes. Key research trends include: Photography's role in literary and cultural analysis Methodological innovations in cultural studies Abstraction in comics and visual narratives Intermedial relationships between film and literature Scientific contributions: 2007 - Prix triennal de poésie de la Communauté française de Belgique 2007-2008 - Francqui Chair in Culture and Communication He has published over 40 volumes and 400 articles, with recent work examining minor visual genres, abstract storytelling, and the semiotic dimensions of cultural and literary practices.










