A photo of Joia Duskic

Joia Duskic

Graduate Student

E-mail: joiaduskic@g.ucla.edu Fields of interest: Contemporary Francophone Caribbean Media; Media Theory; Visual Culture; Carnival and Procession Studies

Joia Duskic is a Ph.D. Candidate in French and Francophone Studies at UCLA, where her research examines contemporary media cultures across the francophone Caribbean. Situated at the intersection of media theory, digital humanities, performance studies, and visual culture, her dissertation investigates how Carnival processions persist and circulate across digital platforms, asking how AI-generated imagery, social media, and audiovisual archives reshape questions of authorship, spectatorship, and cultural memory. Drawing on archival research, media analysis, and Caribbean thought, her work theorizes Carnival as a dynamic system of image production whose logics of circulation, excess, and repetition offer new ways of understanding contemporary digital culture. Prior to UCLA, Joia Duskic earned both a BFA and an MA in Art History from Concordia University. Her master’s research explored the relationship between Louise Bourgeois’ Maman, museum institutions, and public plazas, laying the foundations for her continued interest in visuality, exhibition practices, and the politics of spectatorship in public space. Her current work expands these concerns beyond institutional spaces to investigate the circulation of images across digital environments. Her research has been supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et Culture (FRQSC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and UCLA’s Pauley Fellowship. She is also the recipient of numerous academic distinctions, including Concordia University’s Undergraduate Valedictorian Award. Alongside her research, she teaches French language and francophone culture at UCLA and has worked as a research assistant on projects in media studies, exhibition making, and digital culture. Her forthcoming publications include contributions on computational images and contemporary moving-image cultures with meson press.

LINK TO CURRICULUM VITAE (PDF)

Education

  • Ph.D., French and Francophone Studies, UCLA (expected 2028)
  • M.A., French and Francophone Studies, UCLA (2025)
  • M.A., Art History, Concordia University (2023)
  • B.F.A., Art History, Concordia University, With Great Distinction (2021)

Selected Presentations

  • “The Procession Does Not Proceed, It Gets Prompted from the Sidelines.” In Cultural Politics of the Computational Image, edited by Paul Roquet. meson press. Forthcoming.
  • ““Carnival Begins with a Burning Image.” In Moving Image Remains: On the Refusal to Disappear. meson press. Forthcoming.

Courses commonly taught

ELTS Department, University of California, Los Angeles

  • Instructor of French Language, Levels 1 to 3
  • Teaching Assistant to Dr. Kalani Michell’s German 102: Where’s Europe? War, Politics, and Art
  • Teaching Assistant to Dr. Lia Brozgal’s French 41: French Cinema and Culture

Faculty of Fine Arts, Concordia University, Montreal

  • Teaching Assistant to Dr. Farrukh Rafiq’s ARTH 380: Histories of Art History
  • Teaching Assistant to Dr. Rebecca Duclos’ ARTH 356: Studies in the Materials and Processes of Art: Earth. Air. Fire. Water. Ether.

Department of Arts, lettres et communication, Collégial Sainte-Anne, Montreal

    • Lecturer in Art History and Aesthetics, The Originals: Social, Political and Economic Influences
    • Lecturer in Art History and Aesthetics, Arts Visuels : Introduction à l’histoire de l’art et l’esthétique

Honors and Awards

  • Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et Culture (FRQSC), Bourse de doctorat en recherche (2023-27)
  • Pauley Fellowship (2023-24 & 2026-27)
  • ELTS Summer Fellowship for the Advancement of Language Programs, SFALP (2026)
  • European Languages & Transcultural Studies Conference Travel Support (2026)
  • Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program with Professor Kalani Michell (2025)
  • UCLA Doctoral Student Travel Grants for Conferences, Professional Development and Off-Campus Research (2025)
  • Undergraduate Valedictorian for the Concordia University Faculty of Fine Arts (2022)
  • Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada (CRSH), Bourse d’études supérieures du Canada au niveau de la maîtrise (2022)
  • The Concordia Fine Arts Travel Award (2021)
  • The Francine V. Jones Art Conservation Study Award (2021)
  • The R. Bella Rabinovitch Art History Prize (2021)
  • The Top Concordian Graduate Entrance Scholarship for the Faculty of Fine Arts (2021)
  • The Elspeth McConnell Fine Arts Award (2018)

Professional Activities

  • Summer Fellow for the Advancement of Language Programs (SFALP), Collaborated with the Director of Language Programs in driving significant enhancements to the ELTS language curriculum (2026)
  • Research Assistant to Dr. Nina Bjekovic, Revised the French 1-3 curriculum and examinations (2025)
  • Research Assistant to Dr. Kalani Michell (2024-25)
  • Curatorial Assistant to Dr. Alex Ungprateeb Flynn for Construction, Occupation Exhibition at UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, Featured Review in Artforum: A Tale of Two Cities (2024-25)
  • Co-organizer of the 4th Annual Graduate Student Conference of the Department of European Languages & Transcultural Studies, Shaping Academia’s Future: Coincidence or Design? Exploring the Interplay of Identity and Serendipity in Scholarly Work (2024-25)
  • Event Coordinator for the Graduate Student Association, Department of European Languages & Transcultural Studies (2024-25)