This study focuses on the following schizophrenic related elements to be found in the postmodern society and to be represented in selected contemporary video artworks: 1) creation of an alternative world and 2) disturbance in meaning. To confirm that the creation of an alternative world and disturbance in meaning is present in postmodern society, the following elements are investigated as symptoms of schizophrenia and characteristics present in contemporary society: 1) fragmentation, 2) withdrawal from reality, 3) misinterpretation of memories and 3) the creation of 'word salad'. In order to draw a parallel between schizophrenia and the postmodern society, the postmodern theories of Simon Gottschalk, Fredric Jameson, Kenneth Gergen, Jean Baudrillard, Andreas Huyssen, Gilles Deleuze en Paul Virilio as well as the medical studies involving schizophrenia by the Schizophrenia Foundation of South Africa, the University of Iowa se Department of Healthcare and D Sue, DW Sue en S Sue are used. In both conditions of schizophrenia and postmodern society, reality and meaning are altered. This study concludes that schizophrenic related elements are present in the postmodern society and therefore these elements are represented in the selected video artworks of the artists Eija-Liisa Ahtila and myself.AFRIKAANS : Hierdie studie fokus op die skisofrenie-verwante elemente wat voorkom in die postmoderne samelewing naamlik: 1) alternatiewe wêreldskepping en 2) versteuring in betekenisgewing en wat uitgebeeld word in geselekteerde kontemporêre videokunswerke. Fragmentering, onttrekking van realiteit, waninterpretasie van herinneringe en die skepping van 'woordslaai' word as simptome van skisofrenie en as kenmerkende eienskappe in die postmoderne samelewing ondersoek om die argument te versterk dat alternatiewe wêreldskepping en versteuring in betekenisgewing teenwoordig is in die postmoderne samelewing. Die postmoderne teorieë van Simon Gottschalk, Fredric Jameson, Kenneth Gergen, Jean Baudrillard, Andreas Huyssen, Gilles Deleuze en Paul Virilio sowel as die mediese studies deur die Schizophrenia Foundation of South Africa, die University of Iowa se Department of Healthcare en D Sue, DW Sue en S Sue aangaande skisofrenie, word gebruik om parallelle tussen die postmoderne samelewing en die mediese toestand van skisofrenie in hierdie studie te trek. Daar word vasgestel dat realiteit en betekenis in beide toestande van skisofrenie en die postmoderne samelewing verbuig en hervorm word. Die gevolgtrekking van hierdie studie is dat skisofrenie-verwante elemente wel voorkom in die kontemporêre samelewing en dus uitgebeeld word in die geselekteerde videokunswerke van die kunstenaars Eija-Liisa Ahtila en myself. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Visual Arts / unrestricted

Text in English with abstracts and keywords in English, Afrikaans and Sesotho / This was a practice-led study, in which I critically engaged with my own video artwork alongside the video works of three other artists. Selected works of Penny Siopis, Anders Weberg, Maja Zack and mine deal with the notions of memory and trauma. I investigated which visual strategies and techniques derived from film theory are employed in video art to simulate traumatic memories from war conflicts. This research analysed specific theories of Gilles Deleuze and Sergei Eisenstein to identify how certain film strategies are used in video art to simulate grievous historical events. I explored the way that these events shape postmemory, as theorised by Marianne Hirsch and Cathy Caruth. The theories of Susan Sontag and Jean Baudrillard describe how memory relies on imaginative investment and interpretation, creating a simulation of the past, in which affect takes precedence over accurate and factual portrayal of traumatic events. / Hierdie studie was ’n praktykgeleide studie waartydens ek my eie videokunswerk tesame met diè van drie ander kunstenaars krities ondersoek het. Gekose werke uit my eie stal, diè van Penny Siopis, Anders Weberg en Maja Zack handel oor die begrippe herinnering en trauma. Ek het ondersoek ingestel na die visuele strategieë en tegnieke voortspruitend uit filmteorie wat in videokuns aangewend word om traumatiese herinneringe van oorlogkonflikte te simuleer. Hierdie navorsing het die spesifieke teorieë van Gilles Deleuze en Sergei Eisenstein ontleed ten einde te identifiseer hoe bepaalde filmstrategieë in videokuns gebruik word om smartlike historiese gebeure te simuleer. Ek het die wyse nagevors waarop hierdie gebeure post-herinneringe modelleer, soos deur Marianne Hirsch en Cathy Caruth geteoretiseer. Die teorieë van Susan Sontag en Jean Baudrillard beskryf hoedat herinneringe op verbeeldingryke belegging en interpretasie steun om ’n simulasie van die verlede te skep waarin affek voorkeur kry bo die akkurate en feitelike voorstelling van traumatiese gebeure. / Seno e ne e le thutopatlisiso e e eteletsweng pele ke tiragatso, moo ke dirisaneng ka tshekatsheko le tiro ya me ya botsweretshi jwa bidio ke e bapisitse le ditiro tsa bidio tsa batsweretshi ba bangwe ba le bararo. Ditiro tse di tlhophilweng tsa ga Penny Siopis, Anders Weberg, Maja Zack le tsa me di samagana le dintlha tsa kgopolo le manokonoko. Ke sekasekile gore go dirisitswe ditogamaano le dithekenini dife tsa pono tse di tswang mo tioring ya difilimi mo botsweretshing jwa bidio go etsisa dikgopolo tsa manokonoko a dikgotlhang tsa ntwa. Patlisiso eno e lokolotse ditiori tse di rileng tsa ga Gilles Deleuze le Sergei Eisenstein go supa ka moo ditogamaano dingwe tsa filimi di dirisiwang ka gona mo botsweretshing jwa bidio go etsisa ditiragalo tse di botlhoko tsa hisetori. Ke tlhotlhomisitse ka moo ditiragalo tseno di bopang segopotso sa morago go ya ka tiori ya Marianne Hirsch le Cathy Caruth. Ditiori tsa ga Susan Sontag le Jean Baudrillard di tlhalosa ka moo kgopolo e ikaegang ka peeletso ya ikakanyetso le thanolo ka gona, e etsisa dilo tsa maloba, moo e leng gore ditlamorago e nna tsona ditlapele go feta pontsho e e nepagetseng le ya nnete ya ditiragalo tse di bakileng manokonoko. / Art and Music / M.V.A.