Berlin
16th and 17th of March 2012 starting at 14:00
Towards the end of the 19th century, Animism was perceived as a collection of misguided notions with which the “primitive consciousness” populated the cosmos with souls and spirits. Those who were modern left Animism behind them and divided the world into body and soul, into the spiritual and the material.
The aim of the debate, which questions established definitions of the difference between things and beings, world and perceptions, is to trace unexpected connections and to use the concept of animism for a critical reflection on modernity. Three round tables explore the respective thematic areas of “animism and other histories of modernity”, “animism and capitalism” and “animism and politics” and address current issues surrounding changing global economic, political, and ecological conditions. The lectures comment on the newly-discovered, trans-disciplinary attention being devoted to “animism” against a philosophical, political and science philosophical background.
Irene Albers and Anselm Franke were responsible for the coception of the conference and the guests are among others Angela Melitopoulos/ Maurizio Lazzarato, Avery F. Gordon, David Abram, Cornelius Borck, Harry Garuba, Esther Leslie, Thomas Macho, Spyros Papapetros, Elisabeth von Samsonow, Erhard Schüttpelz, Isabelle Stengers, Michael Taussig, Tobie Nathan and Tom Holert.
The admission is free.
More information about the conference can be found here.
