Medium of the Mind

Medium of the Mind

Irene Chou. Detail of Creation Trilogy (1990). Ink on paper. 183 x 96 cm. Private Collection, Hong Kong. Photo by Eugene Wang.

 

Medium of the Mind

March 8–9, 2024
Lower Level Auditorium, 485 Broadway
Harvard University

Harvard FAS CAMLab will be hosting this year’s Medium of the Mind Conference.

Mark your calendar and join us for two days of intellectual exchange!

Abstract:

Is the mind accessible? Is there a medium that affords access to the mind? How did thinkers and artists, pressurized by scientific knowledge and modern technology, imagine new ways to visualize, channel, control, and simulate invisible forces and connectivities? The conference “Medium of the Mind” addresses these questions by focusing on the negotiation between mind and medium in modern East Asia and beyond. Gathering scholars from different fields, this conference seeks to propose new directions in the study of art, film and media, philosophy of religion, intellectual history and history of knowledge in the twentieth century.

 

The organizing committee for the international conference on “Medium of the Mind” warmly invites the submission of related papers. Is the mind expressible? Is there a medium that affords access to the mind? How did East Asian thinkers and artists, pressurized by scientific knowledge and technology, imagine new ways to visualize, channel, control, and simulate invisible forces and energies—in particular mind and consciousness? This conference seeks to address these questions as they manifest through the tension between art, science, and spirituality in the modern world. By focusing on the negotiation between mind and medium, we hope to propose new directions in the study of art, visual culture, media, philosophy, religion, and intellectual history in the 20th century.

The organizing committee welcomes all paper proposals related to this conference theme. The event is supported by the Yin-Cheng Network for Buddhist Studies. All conference-related costs, including transportation, meals, and accommodation during the conference period, will be covered by the conference organizers. Remote participation (via Zoom or another video call platform) may be considered for speakers from outside the U.S. who are unable to attend in-person. Please email proposals and CVs to camlab@fas.harvard.edu by September 15, 2023.

Following the November event, all papers will be collected for publication. Scholars who propose paper topics should keep in mind that they must commit to submitting a publishable paper by mid-January 2024

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