Embodiment: Senses, Body, and Space in Medieval Art and Architecture, Session at 51st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI, May 12–15, 2016

This session explores the relationship created between the physical body of the viewer and art objects, paintings, or architecture. Topics might include the way in which a cycle of wall-paintings encourages the viewer's body to trace a certain path through space, the ways in which a manuscript miniature can evoke the senses of touch, hearing, taste or even smell, and the way a casket creates a physical relationship with its owner/beholder who touches and opens it. This topic draws upon recent scholarly emphases on materiality, materialism, thing theory, sensuality, and the embodied nature of experience. Western medieval, Byzantine, Islamic, or other medieval objects/sites may be considered. Traditional object-based and more recent theoretical examinations are welcome.

Organizer
Amanda Luyster, College of the Holy Cross