Jananne Al Ani

Jananne Al Ani is a Reader in Photography and Moving Image at the London College of Communication, part of University of the Arts London. She is also a member of the Photography and the Archive Research Centre (PARC) at LCC. Her academic career is deeply intertwined with her practice as a visual artist, researcher, and lecturer working across photography, film, and video.

Al Ani studied Fine Art at the Byam Shaw School of Art and completed her MA in Photography from the Royal College of Art. Her educational background forms the foundation for her interdisciplinary approach that bridges artistic practice with academic research.

Her research primarily investigates the complex relationships between photography, surveillance, and contested landscapes. Early work examined the fetishized veiled body in Orientalist painting and photography, while her ongoing project The Aesthetics of Disappearance: A Land Without People explores the disappearance of the body in contested landscapes through the lens of aerial reconnaissance and military surveillance technologies. Her work critically engages with how these technologies have influenced disciplines ranging from art to archaeology, initially focusing on Middle Eastern landscapes and later expanding to American Southwest and British landscapes featuring decommissioned military sites.

The trajectory of Al Ani's artistic output reveals a consistent exploration of historical memory, political conflict, and visual representation. Her work demonstrates how aerial perspectives have transformed our understanding of landscape, territory, and conflict zones, while maintaining a strong connection to documentary traditions and personal testimony. The recurring themes across her exhibitions and publications indicate a sophisticated interrogation of power structures embedded in visual technologies.

• Recipient of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize
• Recipient of the East International Award
• Her work is held in collections including the Imperial War Museum (London), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Mori Art Museum (Tokyo), Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), and Darat al Funun (Amman)

As an educator and academic, Al Ani has influenced contemporary discourse through her teaching and research supervision. Her institutional affiliations extend beyond UAL to include her role as trustee of The Photographers' Gallery in London and board member of Mophradat in Brussels, demonstrating her significant contribution to the broader art ecosystem. She has received commissions and grants supporting her artistic research, including a commission from Film and Video Umbrella that resulted in a monograph on her moving image work.

Al Ani's work connects with multiple research communities through her membership in the Photography and the Archive Research Centre (PARC) at LCC, which serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research on photographic practices and histories. Her collaborative projects, including co-curated exhibitions like Veil and Fair Play, demonstrate her engagement with international artistic networks and her commitment to creating platforms for critical dialogue around visual culture.