Contact us

Email: altarjcu@gmail.com

Location: Cairns Institute, JCU Cairns, Nguma-bada campus, Smithfield

ALTAR was founded in 2013 by then PhD scholars Daniela Vávrová and Bard Aaberge with support from Professor Rosita Henry, Professor Ton Otto, and Dr Michael Wood. The following year Dr Jennifer Deger joined ALTAR as research leader.

Daniela Vávrová

Daniela is currently Adjunct Research Fellow and the director of The AV Lab and ALTAR at James Cook University. Along with her interest in different cultures, she explores the relationship between anthropology and visual communication, between written accounts, photography and ethnographic filmmaking. Since 2005 her field site is situated in Papua New Guinea exploring how people shape and are shaped by their social and cultural environment through their sensory experiences. In the post covid19 era, she took upon a new learning direction: Cyberspace - governance, risk and strategy in particular.

Email: daniela.vavrova@jcu.edu.au

+ 61 – (07) - 4232 1882 (office)

+ 61 - (0)4 - 205 93 462 (mobile)

Bård Aaberge

Bard Rydland Aaberge is an anthropologist with 15 years of experience working and researching with Indigenous Australians. After several years experience teaching Anthropology and Social Sciences at James Cook University, Cairns, Bard took up a full time lecturing role in social sciences at the University of Western Norway from March 2018.

Jennifer Deger

Jennifer Deger works at the intersection of art and anthropology. She writes on photography, aesthetics, film, contemporary Aboriginal societies, digital culture, art and ethnographic film, and experimental museology. As a founding member of Miyarrka Media, a collective based in the community of Gapuwiyak, NT, Jennifer's practice-led research claims creativity as a critical mode of social engagement and analysis. In  collaboration with her Yolngu colleagues from Miyarrka Media, she has co-directed several award winning films and co-curated experimental installations and exhibitions in Denmark, the US and Australia.

Email: jennifer.deger@jcu.edu.au