Ways of knowing – Forgetful Bodies, Vocal Memories

The seminar “Forgetful Bodies, Vocal Memories” is part of the seminar series “Ways of knowing Spring 2025” where we every Wednesday this Spring explore how Ways of Knowing manifest themselves in the field of artistic research right now. Read more about the seminar series and find upcoming seminars.

A friend argues that Americans battle between the “historical self” and the “self self.” By this she means you mostly interact as friends with mutual interest and, for the most part, compatible personalities; however, sometimes your historical selves, her white self and your black self, or your white self and her black self, arrive with the full force of your American positioning. Then you are standing face-to-face in seconds that wipe the affable smiles right from your mouths. What did she say? Instantaneously your attachment seems fragile, tenuous, subject to any transgression of your historical self. And though your joined personal histories are supposed to save you from misunderstandings, they usually cause you to understand all too well what is meant. Rankine, Citizen: An American Lyric

Continuing from the roundtable discussion “The University cannot love me. Only humans are capable of love.”, this discussion begins with the histories that are put on hold to have a seat at the table. What happens when our bodies give pause to the free flow of discourse and our authentic voices can only emerge as reactions to the assumptions of that table?

Prompts for conversations will be given from Claudia Rankine, Sadiya Hartmann, Alexis Pauline Gumbs and Audre Lorde.

Moderated by John-Paul Zaccarini, Professor in Performing Arts for the profile area Bodily and Vocal Practices.