Multisensuality Through History and Across Media / November 17-18, 2022 / Online

28.02.2022

Call for Papers

We experience the world in a multisensual way. Consider entering a perfumery where you can see beautiful bottles of perfumes and smell pleasant fragrances while hearing the relaxing music and faint sounds of conversation among customers. Yet, this multisensory experience can be so easily adversely affected by simple allergy or, in the more recent context, by the obligation of wearing a face covering or, more severely, by an impaired sense of smell caused by the illness. The sensual experience of the reality around us directly affects how and what we think and feel, what we know and create – and therefore who we are.

Currently, in humanities and social sciences, we are witnessing the sensory turn, which draws attention to the previously neglected multisensory experience of the world, as well as to the powerfulness of the (non)human corporeality. The sense of sight, valued in Western culture, lost its privileged position in favour of the cooperation of all, often underestimated senses. The interest in the multisensory experience involving the senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste is constantly evolving not only among scholars engaged with everyday culture and history, but also among sociologists and education experts. In addition, multisensuality clearly marks its presence in the media landscape, for example in the context of multisensual use of digital and social media.

This conference aims to reflect on the experience of multisensuality in cultural and historical contexts. Papers are invited from scholars working in any discipline, including history, art history, cultural studies, film and media studies, and education studies.

We welcome papers on the topic of multisensuality including but not limited to
the following:
• multisensuality in traditional and digital media forms and texts
• cultural and social contexts of multisensuality, i.e. multisensory
experience during pandemic time
• multisensory experience in media, arts, cultures and education
• role of senses and multisensuality in historical studies
• language of senses: describing the experience of multisensuality
• synaesthesia in culture, history and media
• haptic visuality in culture, history and media
• multisensual methodologies

Please send the paper proposal of no more than 500 words and a biographical note with the current affiliation, academic title and research profile, telephone number and correspondence email to the organizers (email: multisensuality@gmail.com) by 1 July 2022. Selected applicants will be contacted by 1 October 2022.

The participation in the “Multisensuality Through History and Across Media” conference is free of charge.

For more information, visit: www.multisensuality.weebly.com

Organizers:
University of Vienna
Pedagogical University of Cracow

Organizing committee:
Joanna Łapińska, PhD (University of Vienna)
Natalia Giza, PhD (Pedagogical University of Cracow)
Paweł Hamera, PhD (Pedagogical University of Cracow)
Marzena Keating, PhD (Pedagogical University of Cracow)
Kamila Kalista, PhD (Pomeranian University in Słupsk)