Barbara Olszewska

Barbara Olszewska is an Associate Professor of Sociology/Anthropology of Communication at the University of Technology of Compiègne (UTC), affiliated with the Costech laboratory since 2004. Her research bridges art, society, and technology, with a focus on ethnographic film studies, digital social interactions, and aesthetic transformations of ordinary experiences. She has led projects like 'Learning and Common Sense' and maintains an active art-research blog documenting interdisciplinary investigations.

Her education includes a PhD in Information and Communication Sciences (2001) from Université Montpellier 3, a postdoctoral fellowship at France Telecom's Ergonomics Laboratory (2001–2004), and prior work as a teaching assistant at Université de Lettres, Montpellier (1998–2001).

Olszewska’s research explores:

• The interplay between artistic practices and societal structures, particularly through avant-garde influences.
• Digital technology’s role in reshaping social interactions across ecological, humanitarian, and educational contexts.
• Ethnographic film as a tool for mediating scientific and aesthetic experiences, documented in global fieldwork (e.g., Nepal, Bali, Lanzarote).

Her publications analyze dance, technology ruptures, and collective action, emphasizing qualitative methodologies and pragmatist philosophy. She has coordinated international conferences and edited interdisciplinary volumes like Les données de l’enquête.

She collaborates extensively with artists and researchers, facilitating networks like the CEMS-IMM/EHESS-CNRS delegation. Current projects include documentary films on Jean-Marie Straub and studies of César Manrique’s Art-Nature concept.