We send and receive postcards between friends and family, however in today's world of email and social media, the postcard isn't as popular a medium for sending messages as it was in the past. But alongside images of sandy beaches and idyllic landscapes, another kind of image proliferated in the early 20th century. The depiction of execution and torture in postcard form was relatively common in the early 1900s, especially in China and the United States, however they were also produced during WWI and in North Africa and the Middle-East. Some of these postcards allude to a practice grounded in Western imperialism. The images on the postcards offered a persistent replaying of human degradation.

Conceptual artist Jason B Bernard will illuminate the history of these macabre souvenirs, including the ethical issues surrounding their study today.. How can we begin to comprehend these images? Were they a kind of memento mori? A deterrent? Or simply revelling in the cruelty of spectacle? Jason will be producing a conceptual artbook on the subject which will be followed by a more academic version with his wife Dr.Jennifer Wallis.