A/r/tography as a visual methodology in heritage tourism studies: a new perspective through artistic photography

This study explores the potential of a/r/tography as a visual methodology in the context of heritage tourism, integrating academic, scientific, and artistic dimensions. Rooted in Arts-Based Educational Research (ABER), it employs artistic photography to reframe visual perceptions of Jesuit Guaraní Missions heritage sites. The research follows a qualitative approach, incorporating (auto)biographical elements, as well as documentary and bibliographic research. Photographic expeditions were conducted across 12 historical sites, including seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites and five national heritage sites in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. The resulting visual compositions form an unprecedented photographic essay, revealing new layers of cultural memory and tourism representation. This study understands artistic photography as a language capable of establishing other possible realities through aesthetic, symbolic, and narrative choices. By fostering educational engagement, it highlights the role of photography in heritage awareness and transdisciplinary learning. The findings offer fresh insights into the visual positioning of heritage sites, particularly those in a state of ruin, and emphasize the potential of a/r/tography in expanding tourism methodologies. This research contributes to discussions on cultural heritage representation, proposing artistic photography as a means to mediate, reinterpret, and sensitize audiences to the historical and aesthetic values embedded in these spaces.