Habitus in Habitat III

A myriad of sensations inform and direct us when we engage with the environment. To understand their influence on the development of our habitus it is important to focus on unifying processes in sensing. This approach allows us to include phenomena that elude a rather narrow view that focuses on each of the five discrete senses in isolation. One of the central questions addressed in this volume is whether there is something like a sensual habitus, and if there is, how it can be defined. This is especially done by exploring the formation and habituation of the senses in and by a culturally shaped habitat. Two key concepts, Synaesthesia and Kinaesthetics, are addressed as essential components for an understanding of the interface of habitat and the rich and multisensory experience of a perceiving subject. At a Berlin-based conference Synaesthesia and Kinaesthetics, scholars from various disciplines gathered to discuss these issues. In bringing together the outcome of these discussions, this book gives new insights into the key phenomena of sensory integration and synaesthetic experiences, it enriches the perspectives on sensually embedded interaction and its habituation, and it expands this interdisciplinary inquiry to questions about the cultures of sensory habitus.

Joerg Fingerhut is research associate at the Collegium for the Advanced Study of Picture Act and Embodiment at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and pursues his PhD in philosophy. His current work focuses on psychological and biological models of perception and the mind in contemporary theories of situated and embodied cognition. Sabine Flach holds a PhD in art history. From 2000-2010 she was Head of the Department «WissensKünste – Art and Sciences» at the Center for Literary and Cultural Research in Berlin. Since 2011 she is visiting professor for art theory, modern and contemporary art at the SVA School of visual Arts in New York and Permanent Fellow of the Faculty of Fine Arts. Her current work focuses on art and art-theory of the 19th and 20th century and contemporary art, knowledge of the arts, aesthetics, aisthesis, aesthesia and media of embodiment, theories of perception, environments and embodiment, emotion, sense and senses, episteme of visual thinking, image and body. Jan Söffner holds a PhD in romance philology from Cologne University and currently holds a fellowship at the Internationales Kolleg Morphomata in Cologne. His current work focuses on embodiment, mimesis and metaphors as related to emotions in literature.

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