The aim of this work is to reflect on the appropriations and redefinitions of visual culture studies in Argentina. In order to do so I first attempt to define the concepts of visual studies and visual culture, and trace exchanges and debates in the international academic field; I then focus on local developments and experiences. In this way I seek to understand the particularities of Argentine art historiography, characterized by interdisciplinarity and a strong political position. The image as a socially, historically, and geographically constituted fact becomes a core element of the field’s internal disputes, while denoting a constant attention to the position of the discipline in society.