Audio-visuality
A conference on the experience of audio-visual art, artefacts, and media texts
May 26-28, 2011, Department of Aesthetic Studies, "Kasernescenen", Langelandsgade 139, 8000 Aarhus C. Map
Sound is one of the most overwhelming and omnipresent 'interferences' in modern life – and at the same time one of the most volatile and transient [human] experiences. Each individual can – with mobile media like the iPod – be accompanied by her own individual soundtrack, and thus 'score' the experience of everyday living. Sound as such normally cannot be seen but both heard and felt, which makes it fundamentally multi- or synaesthetical. Our multi-sensuous reality, appealing to all the senses, is being reduced to exactly an audio-visual culture in (and?) what could generally be considered its electronically mediated version. In relation to the massive amount of audio-visuality we can state that research and the broad field of sound discourse are still inadequate when it comes to the qualitative exploration of aesthetic reception, theoretical and epistemological questions, dimensions, and themes. We are still hesitant and insecure in our knowledge on how an audio-visual phenomenon or a work of art may influence us, how we experience it and (inter)act with it, and what kind of experience, knowledge and understanding a predominantly audio-visual and multi-sensory culture facilitates and how it ?engages us in as late modern human beings. We imagine that the relations between sound and “a good experience” can be explored through genealogies of sound and listening and through reflections on the interactions of sound, listening/hearing and other sensory experiences.
By emphasizing but not separating the audio aspect, the aim of the conference is to develop and strengthen audio-visual studies as a multi-facetted interdisciplinary field drawing on disciplines such as acoustics and sound studies, musicology, film- and media studies, anthropology, geography, cultural and urban studies, digital and audio design studies etc. The conference will be organized in four parallel tracks (themes) as follows:
Track I: Sound Styling in Film and Television Genres
Track II: Strategic Communication
Track III: The Audiovisual exhibited – Sound in the (fine) Arts
Track IV: Mobile Mediated Audiovisuality
There will be 4 keynote lectures (one for each track), plenary roundtables, individual presentations of papers with respondents, and evening arrangements. We aim for around 20 papers and 20 respondents. Papers will be sent out to respondents one week beforehand.
Keynote speakers are Dr Annette Davison (University of Edinburgh), Dr Claudia Bullerjahn (Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen), Professor Steven Connor (University of London) and Dr Caroline Basset (University of Sussex).
Read the full "Call for papers"
The official language of the conference is English. The conference fee is 1.000 D.Kr./ €135
Please contact the organizers in case you need more information.
The conference is organized by the collaborative research project “Audiovisual Culture and the good sound” sponsored by the Danish State Research Council for the period 2009-2012
in collaboration with the Department of Aesthetic Studies at Aarhus University, Denmark, where the conference will take place.
On behalf of the organizational committee
Ansa Lønstrup, associate professor and Head of research project