Prof. Dr. Goda Plaum, Department of Fine Arts, University of Education Ludwigsburg

PD Dr. Zhuofei Wang, Department of Philosophy, University of Hildesheim

Abstract

In every culture people are making images - at least in terms of a not too narrow understanding of “image”. What differs more is the theoretical understanding of the process of image-making. In Asia, for example, image making has traditionally been seen as ritual meditation, which is connected respectively with the immersive experience of Rasa, Zen and Dao. In Western tradition the reflections focus more on philosophical analysis of image perception and reception.

Starting from a global, decolonial perspective, we focus on the discussion of various approaches to image-making, which enables us to discover blind spots and to reflect the function and limitation of categorization. Such a multi-perspective discourse will deepen the understanding of image-making as a basic human practice and thus fundamentally enrich image studies in general.

The conference will focus on image-making by the mutual exchange of various cultural perspectives with following questions: How was/is the subject of image-making described and discussed in respective cultures? How do these different theories enrich the understanding of image and thus develop the concept of imagery? Which procedures – such as following or breaking rules, playing with coincidences, exploring materials and media etc. – are regarded as crucial for the generation of images? Which mental processes are incorporated in these procedures? How does the meaning of an image emerge from all these factors?

Instead of the commonly used form of single presentations with discussions, the approach preferred by the conference is primarily dialogues between two or more theorists and practitioners from different cultural circles. In addition to theoretical discourses, we also invite “image makers” from all over the world to participate in a visual-artistic dialogue from which an image chain emerges. The idea is that each participating artist react with his or her image-making to an image produced by another artist. The artist will not be told the identity of the previous artist so that he or she could only focus on the image itself. Therefore, the image chain develops naturally with unpredictable results and releases an image evolution. The project will be presented in the Study Gallery of the University of Education Ludwigsburg during the conference. The duration of image evolution will be around October 2022 to July 2023. The exhibition will be in October 2023.

Cooperation partner for the exhibition:

Study Gallery of the University of Education Ludwigsburg

https://www.ph-ludwigsburg.de/hochschule/einrichtungen/btz/studiengalerie

Troy House Art Foundation London

https://www.troyhouseart.org/the-foundation

Cooperation partner for the conference:

Society for Interdisciplinary Image Science

(Gesellschaft für interdisziplinäre Bildwissenschaft - GIB)

https://www.gibbildwissenschaft.org/

Further cooperation partners are to be announced.