Talisman-Images: Gather the Cosmos and Press It to Your Body
Friday, March 29, 2019 - 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Presenter(s): Laura U. Marks
Location: University of Arizona, Student Union 1303 E. University Blvd Kiva (Lecture) and Gallery (Reception)
Practiced in medieval Islamic and European cultures, talismans were like apps that appealed to the planets and other powers to intercede into precise earthly problems. Laura U. Marks argues that talismans intervene in the order of the universe by re-folding it, a practice that relies on a conception of the universe as densely interconnected. In our seemingly disenchanted times, Marks suggests, it is still possible to re-fold the universe, grasping the points of disparate histories and places and drawing them together. We see this at work in movies, digital media works, and objects. Marks will focus on the effective results using such media to connect from the body to the cosmos.
Join us for a reception with appetizers and refreshments immediately following the lecture!
Laura U. Marks
Laura U. Marks, a scholar and programmer, works on media art and philosophy with an intercultural focus. Her most recent books are Hanan al-Cinema: Affections for the Moving Image (MIT, 2015) and Enfoldment and Infinity: An Islamic Genealogy of New Media Art (MIT, 2010). With Dr. Azadeh Emadi she is a founding member of the Substantial Motion Research Network, substantialmotion.org. Dr. Marks is Grant Strate Professor in the School for the Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. www.sfu.ca/~lmarks
