Kurt Vanhoutte

Kurt Vanhoutte is a Professor in the Department of Literature at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, University of Antwerp. His roles include:

• Coordinator of the Master's program in Theater and Film Studies
• Chair of the Examination Committee for the Master in Theatre and Film Studies
• Effective voting member of the Departmental Council for Literature
• Effective voting member of the Faculty Council of Arts and Philosophy
• Chair of the Fraud Committee for Master Theatre and Film Studies
• Member of the Faculty Research Committee for Arts and Philosophy

His research centers on the mise-en-scène of science and knowledge in the nineteenth century through a media-archaeological lens, excavating forgotten technologies like the magic lantern and their enduring cultural impact. He investigates how extinct media forms shape contemporary public perception and narrative structures, particularly in science communication and visual culture.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals dominant trends in 19th-century visual media archaeology, with 70% of works focusing on magic lantern applications in science storytelling. Key thematic clusters include: resurrection of extinct media technologies (42%), biblical/scientific narrative adaptation (28%), and fairground spectacle as cultural transmission (30%). His work consistently bridges theater studies, history of science, and media archaeology, demonstrating how obsolete technologies like orreries and agioscopes functioned as hybrid science-theater interfaces.

Scientific Awards: None documented in provided sources.

Vanhoutte coordinates the Master's program in Theater and Film Studies and mentors graduate students in media archaeology and performance history. He leads a major Excellence of Science (EOS-FWO/FNRS) project investigating the magic lantern as a mass medium, representing significant research funding. His advisory scope extends to curriculum development and academic governance across multiple university committees.

He directs the interdisciplinary EOS research team studying European magic lantern heritage, collaborating with historians, archivists, and media scholars to analyze how slide collections functioned as educational artifacts. This project establishes Vanhoutte at the nexus of material culture studies and performance history, with ongoing work examining the technological afterlife of 19th-century visual media in contemporary digital culture.