Introduction: The artists formerly known as... or, the loose end of conceptual art and the possibilities of 'visual autofiction'

This introduction constitutes a first attempt to trace the origins and contexts of 'visual autofiction'. 'Autofiction' has proven to be a particularly productive concept in literary studies. However, taking a closer look at 'autofiction' shows that this notion is closely related to themes and questions raised in other forms of art throughout the 1970's, in particular in conceptual art. The present introduction argues that we may speak of (strategies of) 'visual autofiction'. Far from being the mere transposition of a literary genre to currents in visual art, 'visual autofiction' forms a contemporary aesthetic stratagem that creatively appropriates conceptual art's aporias. In order to gain an understanding of what is at stake in 'visual autofiction', a comparison will be made with important thematic shifts in cultural theory from the 1970's onwards, in particular in the later works of Roland Barthes.