Maria Fuchs

Maria Fuchs is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Gender Studies, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, leading the FWF project 'The Sonic Imaginations of Africa in German Film (1930–2000)'. Her work bridges musicology, film studies, media theory, and cultural analysis with a focus on historical soundscapes and postcolonial representation.

Her academic foundation includes:

• Studies in Musicology, Comparative Literature, and Gender Studies at the University of Vienna and Free University of Berlin
• DAAD-supported doctoral research resulting in a 2017 dissertation on early film music theory

Dr. Fuchs investigates how sonic elements construct cultural narratives in cinema, particularly examining 'Heimat' concepts, African sonic representations in German film, and postcolonial dimensions of film music. Her methodology integrates historical analysis with gender and decolonial frameworks to uncover power dynamics in audiovisual media.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• DAAD Doctoral Scholarship (2012-2014)
• Erwin Schrödinger Fellowship for 'Soundscapes of Heimat' project (2020-2022)

She has secured multiple FWF grants, serves as peer reviewer for international journals and funding bodies, and extends her expertise to cultural curation—including guest-curating the 'Großes Kino' exhibition at Berlin Kulturforum. Prior academic appointments include teaching roles at University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Berlin University of the Arts, and University of Salzburg, alongside dramaturgical work at HAU Berlin and Deutschlandradio Kultur.