Dr Anna-Sophie Jurgens

PhD in Literary & Cultural Studies (LMU), Magister in Comparative Literature (LMU) -- FHEA
Science Communication
ANU College of Science

Research interests

Science Communication

Cultural meanings of science

Circus, science and technology

Popular Entertainment Studies

Performance histories of mad scientists, clown robots and violent clowns in culture

Intersections between science and art / Artistic Research

Avant-Gardes

Biography

"Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens walks the tightrope between pop culture and science" by Olivia Congdon, ANU College of Science (2023).

Researcher's projects

I am a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science of the Australian National University, and the founder and head the Popsicule - ANU's Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub.  

I explore the cultural meanings of science and have published on the history of comic mad scientists, clown scientists, Joker Science, science and humour, comic performance and technology, science and environmental art, and science communication and street art in numerous academic journals. I am the guest editor of two special themed journal issues published in 2020 with the Journal of Science & Popular Culture (on popular performance and science) and Comedy Studies (on violent clowns). My recent books include Circus and the Avant-Gardes (co-editor, Routledge 2022), Circus, Science and Technology: Dramatising Innovation (editor, Palgrave Macmillan 2020) and Manegenkünste: Zirkus als ästhetisches Modell (co-editor, transcript 2020). My next book Communicating Ice through Popular Art and Aesthetics will be published in November 2023 with Palgrave Macmillan.

I am editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed open access online journal w/k - Between Science and Art (English section) and associate editor of the Journal of Science & Popular Culture.

As a member of the network of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation I can act as a potential host for Feodor Lynen Postdoctoral Fellowships, applications are welcome! 

*** Short bio *** 

Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science of the Australian National University (ANU) and the Head of the POPSICULE, ANU's Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub. Her research explores the cultural meanings of science, the history of (violent) clowns and mad scientists, science and humour, and the interface between science and (public) art. 


 

PUBLICATIONS

 

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7347-2488 

 

– Monograph – 

  

Jürgens, A.-S. (2016): Poetik des Zirkus – Die Ästhetik des Hyperbolischen im Roman (Poetics of the Circus – Hyperbolic Aesthetics in Fiction), Heidelberg: Winter, 453 pages.

 

 

– Edited collections & special themed journal issues – 

 

Hemkendreis, A. and A.-S. Jürgens (Eds.) (2024): Communicating Ice through Popular Art and Aesthetics. Palgrave Macmillan.

 

 

Jürgens, A.-S. and Mirjam Hildbrand (Eds.) (2022): Circus and the Avant-Gardes: History, Imaginary, Innovation, New York: Routledge.

 

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (Ed.) (2020): Circus, Science and Technology: Dramatising Innovation, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.


 

Special themed journal issue on “Violent Clowns”, guest editorial by A.-S. Jürgens | Comedy Studies 11/1 (2020) (online 2019), 14 papers.

 

Special themed journal issue on popular performance, guest editorial by A.-S. Jürgens | Journal of Science & Popular Culture (peer-reviewed, 2020), 10 papers on “Popular Performance & Science”.


Fuchs, Margarete, Jürgens, A.-S., Schuster, Jörg (Eds.) (2020): ManegenkünsteZirkus als ästhetisches Modell, Bielefeld: transcript. 

 

 

Jürgens, A.-S., Wierschem, M. (Eds.) (2017): Pat­terns of Dis|Order – Beiträge zur Kulturgeschichte der Un|Ordnung, Münster: LIT Verlag, 398 pages.

 

 

Jürgens, A.-S., Tesche, T. (Eds.) (2015): LaborARTorium – Forschung im Denkraum zwischen Wissen­schaft und Kunst (LaborARTory – Research in between Science and Art), Biele­feld: transcript, 336 pages.  

 

 

– Peer reviewed journal articles & book chapters – 

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2023): ""Human or Machine?" performing Androids, “Elektro-Homos,” and the “Phroso” and “Moto Phoso” Manias on the Popular Stage around 1900", Journal of Popular Culture.

  

Jürgens, A.-S., Fiadotava, A. and D. Tscharke (in press): "The Cheshire Clown: Joker’s Infectious Laughter", Humour in a World of Gods and Monsters, ed. by Ben Nickl et al. Expected 2023.

 

Jürgens, A.-S., Fiadotava, A. and C.-L. Clitheroe (2024): "Vaude-villain and violent funster: Harley Quinn and Humour", Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics.

 

Santos, D. and A.-S. Jürgens (2023): “From Harleen Quinzel to Harley Quinn: Science, Symmetry and Transformation”, Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics.

 

Thompson, B., A.-S. Jürgens, BOHIE and Rod Lamberts (2023): “Street Art and Environmental Science Communication”, Journal of Science Communication 22(04), A01.

 

Jürgens, A.-S., Sujatha Raman, Rebecca Hendershott, Tara Roberson, John Noel Viaña, Joan Leach (2023): “He Who Gets Slapped: How can Clowning in Film Interrogate Technoscientific Culture and Help Enact the Ideals of Responsible Innovation? ”, Journal of Responsible Innovation 10/1.

 

Richards, I. and A.-S. Jürgens (2023): "Being the Environment: Conveying Environmental Fragility and Sustainability through Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge in Contemporary Aboriginal Science Fiction", Journal of Science & Popular Culture 4/2, 153-171. 


Hemkendreis, A. and A.-S. Jürgens (2024): “Communicating Loss: Ice Research, Popular Art and Aesthetics – Introduction”, Communicating Ice through Popular Art and Aesthetics, ed. Anne Hemkendreis and Anna-Sophie Jürgens, Palgrave Macmillan, 3-24.

 

Jürgens, A.-S., Buchenberger, S., Grove, M. and M. Farinella (2024): “On the Visual Narratives of Ice in Popular Culture: Comics on Ice, Icy Villains and Ice Science”, Communicating Ice through Popular Art and Aesthetics, ed. Anne Hemkendreis and Anna-Sophie Jürgens, Palgrave Macmillan, 235-255.

 

Hemkendreis, A., Jürgens, A.-S. and K. Judd (2024): “On the Aesthetic Facets of Ice Urgency: Some Final Reflections”, Communicating Ice through Popular Art and Aesthetics, ed. Anne Hemkendreis and Anna-Sophie Jürgens, Palgrave Macmillan, 273-282.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. and Anne Hemkendreis (2023): "Jellyfish from Outer Space: Tentacular Creatures and Cosmic Responsibility in Environmental Art and Pop Culture", Southern Space Studies: Outer Space and Popular Culture 3, ed. by Annette Froehlich, Cham: Springer.

 

 Soucy-Humphreys, J., Judd, K. and A.-S. Jürgens (2023): "Challenging the Stereotype Through Humor? Comic Female Scientists in Animated TV Series for Young Audiences", Frontiers in Communication / Science and Environmental Communication 7.

 

Thaker, P., Jürgens, A.-S., Judd, K., Fiadotava, A., Hemkendreis, A. and C. Holliday (2023): “Humour for Change? Melting Ice and Environmental Fragility in the Animated Film Comedies Ice Age: The Meltdown and Happy Feet Two”, Journal of Science and Popular Culture 4/2,95-114.

 

Fiadotava, A., Astapova, A., Hendershott, R., McKinnon, M., & Jürgens, A.-S. (2023): "Injecting fun? Humour, conspiracy theory and (anti)vaccination discourse in popular media", Public Understanding of Science (online first).

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2022): "Being the Alien: The Space Pierrots and Circus Spaces of David Bowie, Klaus Nomi and Michael Jackson", Southern Space Studies: Outer Space and Popular Culture 2, ed. by Annette Froehlich, Cham: Springer, 1-18.

 

Hee, Matthew, Jürgens, A.-S., Fiadotava, A., Judd, K. and Hannah Feldman (2022). “Communicating Urgency Through Humor: School Strike 4 Climate Protest Placards.” Journal of Science Communication. https://jcom.sissa.it/archive/21/05/JCOM_2105_2022_A02.


Jürgens, A.-S., David C Tscharke and Jochen Brocks (2021): "From Caligari to Joker: The Clown Prince of Crime’s Psychopathic Science", Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. https://doi.org/10.1080/21504857.2021.1989005

 

Jürgens, A.-S., Anastasiya Fiadotava, David C Tscharke and John Noel Viaña (2021): "Spreading Fun: Comic Zombies, Joker Viruses and COVID-19 Jokes", Journal of Science & Popular Culture 4/1, 39-57.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (in press): "Intermedia Genealogy and Interrelation of Icons: Clowns, Robots and Clown Robots", Cultural Icons, ed. by Paula Wojcik. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. and Mirjam Hildbrand (2022): "Arts for all senses: Circus and the avant-gardes - introduction", in Circus and the Avant-Gardes: History, Imaginary, Innovation, ed. Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Mirjam Hildbrand, London: Routledge, 1-16.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. and Le Pustra (2022): "Glam Clowning: From Dada to Gaga - a conversation with Le Pustra", in Circus and the Avant-Gardes: History, Imaginary, Innovation, ed. Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Mirjam Hildbrand, London: Routledge, 173-195.

 

Hildbrand, Mirjam, Jürgens, A.-S. and Aiden Essery (2022): "'Today for the last time?': On the cultural meanings of circus and the avant-gardes - some final provocations", in Circus and the Avant-Gardes: History, Imaginary, Innovation, ed. Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Mirjam Hildbrand, London: Routledge, 247-257.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2021): "Lady Clowns: Clown-Ballerinas, Dancing 'Clownesses' and Female Clowns on the Popular Stage around 1900", in Touring Performance and Global Exchange 1850-1960: Making Tracks, eds.  Gilli Bush-Bailey and Kate Flaherty, London: Routledge.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2021): "Through the Looking Glass: Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Circus Studies", Cambridge Companion to the Circus, ed. Gillian Arrighi and Jim Davis, Cambridge University Press, 244-256.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "The Pathology of Joker's Dance: On the Origins of Arthur Fleck's Body Aesthetics in Todd Phillips's 2019 Joker Film", Dance Chronicle 43/3, 321-337.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "Batman and the World of Tomorrow: Yesterday's Technological Future in the Animated Film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm", Animation 15/3, 246–259.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "Flights of Fancy: Mannerist Aesthetics in Paul Auster's Mr Vertigo and Contemporary CCircus Contexts", ManegenkünsteZirkus als ästhetisches Modell, eds. Margarete Fuchs, Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Jörg Schuster, Bielefeld: transcript, 43-60.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. and Margarete Fuchs, Jörg Schuster (2020): "Circus as an Aesthetic Model: Research on Circus Arts and Circus Studies in Germany - Introduction", ManegenkünsteZirkus als ästhetisches Modell, eds. Margarete Fuchs, Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Jörg Schuster, Bielefeld: transcript, 25-40.

 

Fuchs, Margarete, Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Jörg Schuster (2020): "Manegenkünste: Circus als ästhetisches Modell - Einleitung", ManegenkünsteZirkus als ästhetisches Modell, eds. Margarete Fuchs, Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Jörg Schuster, Bielefeld: transcript, 9-24.

 

Jürgens, A.-S., and Stephen Chiodo (2020): "'Greatest Klown on Earth' and the Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Stephen Chiodo in conversation with Anna-Sophie Jürgens", Comedy Studies 11/1, 133-141.

 

Jürgens, A.-S., and Will Elliott (2020): "Humorectomy: Engineering Comic Clown Violence. Will Elliott in conversation with Anna-Sophie Jürgens", Comedy Studies 11/1, 155-161.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "Violence in the Clownlight. Ira Seidenstein on the inner world of the clown, slapstick and dynamite. A conversation with Anna-Sophie Jürgens", Comedy Studies 11/1, 142-154.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "Side-Splitting Amusement: On comic scientists - the sciency type of violent clowns?" Comedy Studies 11/1, 121-132.

 

Jürgens, A.-S., Jarno Hietalahti, Lena Straßburger and Susanne Ylönen (2020): "Schlock horror and pillow punches: Introduction to the dialectics of the violent clown", Comedy Studies 11/1 (Introduction to a special themed journal issue on Violent Clowns), 1-11.

 

Jürgens, A.-S., and Alexander G. Maier (2020): "The Parasite as Performer", Journal of Science & Popular Culture 3/1, 39-56.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "Science on show: Exploring science, performance and spectacle", Journal of Science & Popular Culture 3/1 (2020), 3-6.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): “Fun-de-siècle: Dance, popular spectacles and the circus“, Tanz & Archiv 8, 172-188.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "Clowns in Space: An Introduction to Circus Aliens and Spaced-out Comic Peformers", Southern Space Studies: "Outer Space and Popular Culture: Influences and Interaction", ed. by Annette Froehlich, Springer: Cham, 71-89.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. and R.C. Williamson (2020): "Engineering Circus Enchantment: Automagic Technology and Electrifying Performances in Fiction", Circus, Science and Technology: Dramatising Innovation, ed. by Anna-Sophie Jürgens, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "Circus Matters: Engineering, Imagineering and Popular Stages of Technology – Introduction", Circus, Science and Technology: Dramatising Innovation, ed. by Anna-Sophie Jürgens, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2019): "The Matter of Fact: Science and Identity in Contemporary Australian Fiction", Australian Humanities Review 65, 107-122.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2019): “Costumes of Beloning: ‘Fitting in’ circus fabrics in the novels The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith by Peter Carey and The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott, and the costume-cum-body art of Leigh Bowery”, in: Social Beings, Future Belongings: Reimagining the Social, ed. by David Bissell, Miranda Bruce, Helen Keane, Anna Tsalapatanis, London: Routledge, 98-104.

 

 Jürgens, A.-S. (2018): “Comic in Suspenders: Jim Sharman’s circus worlds in The Rocky Horror (Picture) Show”, Journal of Australian Studies 42/4, 507-523.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2018): “A funny Taste: Clowns and Cannibals”, Comedy Studies 9/2, 171-182.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2018): “So called experts? Knowledge Credibility in Fiction”, in Our Changing World in the South Pacific, ed. by Trevor R. Finlayson ISBN 9780958814928 (Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows), Chapter 6.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (accepted for publication 17/04/2018): “S/Laughter: On the interplay of clowning and cannibalism in popular culture”, in: Komik und Kolonialismus, ed. by Anne Peiter, Bochum: Projektverlag.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2017): “Le Roman de cirque, le Roman Circus mundi et le Roman circassien” (Circus novels and circus texts), in: Le Comparatisme comme approche critique/Comparative literature as a critical approach: Affronter l'Ancien/Facing the Past, Tome 1, ed. by Anne Tomiche, Paris: Classiques Garnier, 483-494.

 

Schuster, S., Jürgens, A.-S. (2017): “Being in a mess – Kollaborationen in der Un|Ordnung des philologischen Märchens“ Cosmos-Collaborator (On Collaborations in the philological Fairy-Tale Cosmos-Collaborator), in: Pat­terns of Dis|Order, ed. by A.-S. Jürgens a. Markus Wierschem, Münster: LIT Verlag, 371–386.   

 

Jürgens, A.-S., Wierschem, M. (2017): “Muster der Un|Ordnung” (Introduction), in: Pat­terns of Dis|Order, ed. by A.-S. Jürgens a. Markus Wierschem, Münster: LIT Verlag, 13–39.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2016): “Circus as Idée fixe and Hunger: Circomania in Fiction”, in: CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 18/3; 7 pages.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2016): “Clowneske Zirkuskunstfiguren – Zu Wandel und Werken des Zirkus­clowns in der Literatur” (Clownesque Circus Creatures – The Evolution of Clowns), in: Über den Clown – Künstlerische und theoretische Perspektiven (On Clowns – Artistic and Theoretical Perspectives), ed. by Richard Weihe, Bielefeld: transcript, 165–181.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2015): “Zirkuskunstwerke: Zur urheberrechtlichen Schutzfähigkeit der Ma­negenkunst” (Circus Creations – Copyright and the Arts of the Ring), in: Neue Rundschau 4, 153–157.

 

Jürgens, A.-S., Wierschem, M. (2015): “The Poetics of Anamorphosis and the Art of Entropy”, in: LaborARTorium, ed. by Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Tassilo Tesche, Bielefeld: transcript, 279–297.

 

Jürgens, A.-S., Tesche, T. (2015): “LaborARTorium – Begegnungen im Denkraum” (LaborART­ory – A Thinking Space (Introduction)), in: LaborARTorium, ed. by Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Tassilo Tesche, Bielefeld: transcript, 9–22.  

 

Jürgens, A.-S., Tesche, T. (2015): “Kunst als Forschung – Ein Rückblick: Florian Dombois im Inter­view mit Anna-Sophie Jürgens und Tassilo Tesche” (Art as Research – A retrospection: Florian Dombois in­terviewed by ASJ and TT), in: LaborARTorium, ed. by Anna-Sophie Jürgens and Tassilo Tesche, Biele­feld: transcript, 33–41.  

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2015): “Das versehrte Lachen – Neomoderne Gewaltclowns in der Literatur” (The Dam­aged Smile – Neomodern violent Clowns in Fiction), in: “Fröhliche Wissenschaft – Zur Gene­alogie des Lachens (“The Gay Science” – A Genealogy of Laughter), ed. by Kevin Liggieri, Freiburg: Karl Alber, 298–320. 

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2015): “Singultus – Ein grotesker Reflex” (Singultus – A Grotesque Reflex), in: Kroener – Time Codes – Die Macht der Bilder (The Power of Pictures), ed. by Maren Martell and Kathrin Höhne, Mittelrhein Museum Koblenz; 6 pages.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2014): “The Joker, a neo-modern clown of violence”, in: Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics 5/4, 441–454.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2012): “Pygmalion im Zirkus: Zum Virtuos-Statuenhaften & Guy de Cars La Dame du Cirque (Pygmalion in the Circus Ring – Virtuosity and the Statuesque in Guy de Cars’ La Dame du Cirque), in: Jahrbuch der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Allgemeine und Ver­gleichende Literturwis­sen­schaft, 137–150.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2011): “Hermetische Liebesakrobatik: Joris-Karl Huysmans’ Des Esseintes und Thomas Manns Felix Krull im Zirkus” (Hermetic Love Acrobatics – Joris-Karl Huysmans’ Des Esseintes and Thomas Mann’s Felix Krull in the Circus), in: SprachKunst – Beiträge zur Litera­tur­wissenschaft Jahrgang XLII/2, 271–300.

 

 

– Online articles / Media engagement – 


Negar Yazdi and A.-S. Jürgens (2024): "Negar Yazdi: City Art and Urban Planning". w/k–Between Science & Arthttps://doi.org/10.55597/e9504.

 

Dai Cameron and A.-S. Jürgens (2024): "Dai Cameron: Nature in Graffiti". w/k–Between Science & Art. https://doi.org/10.55597/e9374.

 

Peter Bengtsen and A.-S. Jürgens (2023): “Peter Bengtsen: Researching Street Art”. w/k – Between Science & Art. https://doi.org/10.55597/e9296.

 

Hanna Hoyne and A.-S. Jürgens (2023): “Hanna Hoyne: Interpretative-Knowledge Making by Means of Public Art (Part 1)”. w/k – Between Science & Art. https://doi.org/10.55597/e8953.

 

Hanna Hoyne and A.-S. Jürgens (2023): “Hanna Hoyne: Our Spirit Recharge Vessel is the Earth (Part 2)”. w/k – Between Science & Art. https://doi.org/10.55597/e8968.

 

James Houl and A.-S. Jürgens (2023): "HoulArt: Wit and Public Inspiration". w/k - Between Science & Art. https://doi.org/10.55597/e8822.

 

Vinhara Goonesekera and A.-S. Jürgens (2023): "Science as Fantasy: Humour and Human Psychology in Pixar’s Inside Out (2015)". Fantasy/Animation.

 

Lee Constable, A.-S. Jürgens and Blake Thompson (2023): "Founding 'Science Meets Street Art' Co-Labs". w/k - Between Science & Arthttps://doi.org/10.55597/e8703.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2022): "From Killer Robot to Sweatshop Boss: Santa on Screen". 20 December 2022. ANU Reporter online.

 

Fiadotava, A. and A.-S. Jürgens (2022): "Father Christmas' Laughter: Merry or Scary?" The Conversation,  21 December 2022. https://theconversation.com/father-christmas-laughter-merry-or-scary-196836. 

 

Fiadotava, A. and A.-S. Jürgens (2022): "Le rire du père Noel, amusant or angoissant?" The Conversation,  22 December 2022. https://theconversation.com/le-rire-du-pere-noel-amusant-ou-angoissant-196912?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1671641195.


PHIBS and A.-S. Jürgens (2022): "Graffiti, Street Art and Engagement". w/k - Between Science & Art. https://doi.org/10.55597/e8292.

 

Byrd, A.-S. Jürgens and Blake Thompson (2022): "Art as Pictographic Space and Field Work". w/k - Between Science & Art. https://doi.org/10.55597/e8096.

 

Dan Power, A.-S. Jürgens and Blake Thompson (2022): "Dan Power: Art and Environmental Fragility". w/k - Between Science & Art. https://doi.org/10.55597/e7767.

 

BOHIE, A.-S. Jürgens and Blake Thompson (2022): "BOHIE: Art for the Environment". w/k - Between Science & Art. https://doi.org/10.55597/e7655.

Jürgens, A.-S., Lisa Petheram and Blake Thompson (2022): Street Art, Science and Engagement: Introducing a New Series. w/k - Between Science & Art. https://doi.org/10.55597/e7564.

Jürgens, A.-S., Suchismito Khatua and Nina Tolksdorf (2022): Exploring Popular Art and the Avant-Gardes: New Perspectives. w/k – Between Science & Art. https://doi.org/10.55597/e7936
Jürgens, A.-S. (2020):"Joker's Techno-Scientific Delights: Mannerist Science and Technology in the animated Joker Universe", Fantasy/Animation, 27 November 2020:
 https://www.fantasy-animation.org/current-posts/jokers-techno-scientific-delights-mannerist-science-and-technology-in-the-animated-joker-universe?fbclid=IwAR10gHkFKrsIRLxWNhGlEYQSDHDzQvwQP_hgfRvgt-pPXBUiuW1wAd2qUmI  

Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "Glitzern & Denken: The Scientific Variety Show at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin", w/k - Between Science and Art, 31 October 2020: https://between-science-and-art.com/glitzern-denken/

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "It's Alive! Aparna Rao on Bringing her Artworks to Live with Robotics", w/k - Between Science and Art, 7 September 2020: https://between-science-and-art.com/its-alive-aparna-rao-on-bringing-her-artworks-to-life-with-robotics/

 

 Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "Martin Riedel & UliK: Techno-Zirkus", w/k - Between Science and Art, 18 October 2020: https://wissenschaft-kunst.de/techno-zirkus/  

 

Jürgens, A.-S. and Alexander Maier (2020): "Love the Parasite you're with - the entertaining life of unwelcome guests from flea circuses to Aliens", The Conversation, 3 June 2020: https://theconversation.com/love-the-parasite-youre-with-the-entertaining-life-of-unwelcome-guests-from-flea-circuses-to-aliens-137602  


Jürgens, A.-S. and Alexander Maier (2020): "The secret life of unwanted guests", Canberra Times, 07 June 2020, 19.  


Mirjam Hildbrand and A.-S. Jürgens (2020):"Circus and the Avant-Gardes: Between Science and Art", w/k - Between Science and Art, 14 June 2020: https://between-science-and-art.com/special/circus-the-avant-gardes-between-science-and-art/  

 

Mirjam Hildbrand and  Jürgens, A.-S. (2020): "Somersaulting out of the Archive: Facets of Circus Studies in German-Speaking Countries", Circustalk: https://circustalk.com/news/somersaulting-out-of-the-archive-facets-of-circus-studies-in-german-speaking-countries

 

Jürgens, A.-S. and Mirjam Hildbrand (2020): "Circus Arts and the Avant-Gardes", w/k - Between Science and Art, 9 April 2020: https://between-science-and-art.com/exploring-circus-arts-and-the-avant-gardes/

 

Jürgens, A.-S.(2019): "Violent Clown Artists between Science & Art", w/k: Between Science and Art, 8 December 2019: https://between-science-and-art.com/violent-clown-artists-between-science-art/

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2019): “Eight great Australian fictional scientists worth reading about”, The Conversation, 11 February 2019: https://theconversation.com/eight-great-australian-fictional-scientists-worth-reading-about-110697

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2018): “Violent clowns and panto dames: the origins of Rocky Horror’s Frank-N-furter”, The Conversation, 3 December 2018: https://theconversation.com/violent-clowns-and-panto-dames-the-origins-of-rocky-horrors-frank-n-furter-104003

 

Jürgens, A.-S. and Peter Tepe (2019): "Wissenschaftsbezüge beim Buchillustrator und Grafiker Harry Jürgens", w/k - Between Science and Art, 17 December 2019: https://www3.hhu.de/wuk/wissenschaftsbezuege-beim-buchillustrator-und-grafiker-harry-juergens/

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2019): “Ira Seidenstein: Clowning and Academia Part 2 – Ira Seidenstein in conversation with Anna-Sophie Jürgens”, w/k - Between Science and Art: https://between-science-and-art.com/ira-seidenstein-clowning-and-academia-part-ii/?highlight=Ira  

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2018): “Ira Seidenstein: Clowning and Academia Part 1 – Ira Seidenstein in conversation with Anna-Sophie Jürgens”, w/k - Between Science and Art: https://between-science-and-art.com/ira-seidenstein-clowning-and-academia-part-i/?highlight=Ira

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2018): ‘Violent clowns and panto dames’, Anna-Sophie Jürgens on clowning in Rocky Horror, ABC Breakfast Radio Canberra, 12 December 2018.

 

Jürgens, A.-S. (2018): ‘A very Canberra event is taking place at the ANU: the Circus Conference’, Anna-Sophie Jürgens in discussion with Jo Laverty about the ‘Imagineers in Circus & Science’ Conference, ABC Radio Canberra, 3 April 2018.

 

For Circus and Art Projects  see:

https://anu-au.academia.edu/AnnaSophieJ%C3%BCrgens/    

 

Past Fellowships and Scholarships (selection)

 

2017-2020: Postdoctoral Fellowships of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

 

2018/19: Leadership Academy Fellowship (German Scholars Organization)

 

2018: ARC Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellowship (Mentoring Scheme Fellowship)

 

2017: National Library of Australia Fellowship

 

2012-2015: PhD scholarship of the 'Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes' (German National Merit Foundation)


o    Special themed journal issue in preparation, guest editorial by A.-S. Jürgens | Comedy Studies (peer-reviewed), 6-8 papers on Violent Clowns; expected to be published in September 2019.

Available student projects

I am available to supervise PhD, Masters and Honours students in any of my fields of expertise.

You can find out more about available PhD projects and student projects on the POPSICULE website: https://popsicule.weblogs.anu.edu.au/opportunities/.

Current student projects

Discover the projects of my students on the POPSICULE website: https://popsicule.weblogs.anu.edu.au/student-projects/!

Past student projects

Honours Projects

"A Portrait of a Lab on Fire: The Cultural Narrative of Alchemy in the Laboratories of Superhero Films" by Lilia Walsh, 2022

"Science communication through animistic magic in Aboriginal Australian sci-fi texts" by Isabel Richards, 2021

PhB Projects

"The use of humour and animation in the production of science research communication videos" by Eliza Martin, 2022

Research Projects

"Ecology of the apocalypse: How Japanese anime uses living weapons in their environments to convey a distrust in scientific authorities" by Peter Klonis, 2022

"Street Art as a Vehicle for Environmental Science Communication" by Blake Thompson, 2022

Internships

"Far Out! Visions and Visualisations of Outer Space in Science, Sci-Fi Film and Space Art", Lilia Walsh, 2021

"Ice (St)Ages", Rishika Nair, 2021

Extracurricular Student Projects

"Street Art, Science & Engagement", series of online articles, with Blake Thompson (partly), ongoing

"Challenging the stereotype through humor? Comic female scientists in animated TV series for young audiences" with Jade Soucy-Humphreys and Karina Judd, published 2023

"Communicating Urgency Through Humor: School Strike 4 Climate Protest Placards" with Matthew Hee, Karina Judd and co-authors, published 2022

"Humour for Change? Melting Ice and Environmental Fragility in the Animated Film Comedies Ice Age: The Meltdown and Happy Feet Two" with Parth Thaker, Karina Judd and co-authors, to be published 2023

'Science & Humour' (SCOM2006/6006) Projects published online

"Healthy Humour: Outwit the Virus! Humorous COVID-19 clips" by Eliza Martin, 2022

 

More details on these and other projects can be found on the POPSICULE website

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Updated:  18 April 2024 / Responsible Officer:  Director (Research Services Division) / Page Contact:  Researchers