University of East Anglia, Friday 15th and Saturday 16th May 2009.

This symposium focuses on how humans articulate their beliefs, concepts and the immaterial through the material world. Papers will discuss issues relating to how materials are used to express concepts, how sacred architecture materializes beliefs, the role of the material within ritual and the interplay between qualities such as colour, light, texture – and concepts.

The programme includes speakers from the Universities of Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Punjab, Sussex, Texas and Washington as well as from the School of World Art Studies and Sainsbury Research Unit. Topics include the spatial configuration of Hagia Sophia, a wooden Neolithic mortuary chamber, spiritual healing in Pakistan and the representation of ‘mythical’ beasts in medieval Norfolk.

This annual symposium is a multidisciplinary event, where students working on relevant topics in the fields of art history, anthropology, archaeology, cultural heritage and museology can present their research in a friendly and non-confrontational atmosphere.

To register for this free event, please email Helen Lunnon at the University of East Anglia. 

 Event flyer (200kb)