Erasure
Poetry
Project
by Mahshid Mayar, PhD funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
As part of the "Making Sense of America - Conversations on Matter & Methods" at University of Innsbruck (2-3 July), Mahshid Mayar and Philip Leonhardt are also organizing a critical arts installation, exhibiting students' experimentation with erasure techniques on four-page copies of the Declaration of Independence. On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the United States, transforming the country's foundational document promises to be a thought-provoking endeavor for students and visitors of the art installation.
In December 2025, Mahshid Mayar led “Splintering Archives – Erasing Erasures,” a critical arts workshop on erasure as craft and method for students of Anglistik and Amerikanistik at the University of Innsbruck. The workshop engaged students in the development of individual erasure-based projects drawing on the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of Sentiments as source texts. The workshop was part of the ongoing creative writing events that have been organized by Violet Stathopoulou, the English Department.
As principle investigator of the DFG-funded project W( )les and ( )holes: Politically Engaged Erasure Poetry in Twenty-First-Century United States, Dr. Mahshid Mayar researches and thinks deeply about erasure, which has also translated into several classes and workshops for students. In this interview, Dr. Mayar talks about how she introduces erasure as a mode of reading, writing, and remaking to students and engages them in applying erasure techniques themselves.
Coming soon…