Workshop Matter and Meaning: New Material Ecologies in Culture and History
The workshop “Matter and Meaning” investigates both material histories and the intricate relationships that exist between societies and their material and ecological environment. It is informed and yet seeks to move beyond the ‘constructivist- essentialist impasse’ that has long dominated environmental history, for instance. Inspired by New Materialism while also critical of it, this workshop discusses contributions curious to explore a theoretical position that deems these two polarized positions of a postmodern constructivism and positivist scientific materialism as untenable. Instead, it endeavors “co- constitutive ‘intra-actions’ between meaning and matter, which leave neither materiality nor ideality intact” extrapolating both how this plays out in history, social, and cultural studies and where the limits of such an ontology lies. This is the second workshop in a series of three, in a collaborative sequence between the Universities of Augsburg, Konstanz, Tübingen, Basel and ETH Zürich, and takes place on September 30 and October 1, 2024 at the Environmental Science Centre (WZU), Room 101
On January 31, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, a special workshop will take place at the 'Brot und Kunst Museum' in Ulm as part of the current exhibition Tiny Giants.
The workshop “Poor Man’s Cheese. Mediterranean Forgotten Histories” is led by Penelope Volinia, doctoral researcher in the ENB-research group Off the Menu: Appetites, Culture, and Environment.
Starting from a brief historical introduction to Kechek el Fouqara, a nearly forgotten fermented dish from the Mediterranean region, the workshop explores fermentation as a method for preserving grains and the central role of microorganisms in this process.
In the hands-on section, participants will make the kechek themselves, shape it, and taste it together.
The workshop will be conducted in English.
Further information and registration:
https://museumbrotundkunst.de/en/programm/workshop-making-and-tasting-of-kechek-el-fouqara