"The visual imagination: across boundaries". UWS @ ACSA Conference, Bangkok.

Alessandra Campoli and Martino Nicoletti, both PhD candidates at UWS, will present a paper at the international conference organized by Asian Cultural Studies Association, at Assumption University in Bangkok (1-3 November 2010)
The 2010 conference theme is "The visual imagination: across boundaries"


Imagination has more than often been conceived of as an art of forming mental images, particularly in relation to objects and phenomena not completely perceived in reality. But if imagination resorts to images then does not the notion of the visual imagination imply a sense of redundancy? If, on the other hand, the word “visual” refers us to the sphere of sensory perception then how can we utilize the sense of sight to arrive at a realistic representation of illusion? In what sense then are images visual and in what sense are they imaginary?


These and similar questions, concerning the concept of imagination, the role of visual representation, or the use of images, have been addressed by artists and art theorists throughout the world. As a creative force, imagination has been integral in understanding individual artistic endeavours, seen as a key concept in aesthetics and art theory. And since art is a form of cultural expression, it is only natural to expect the visual imagination to abound in cultural connotations. This conference seeks to explore the connections between the visual forms of artistic expression and the concept of creative imagination across cultures.


Alessandra will present a paper devoted to the concept of ephemeral in Thai contemporary media arts. Martino will explore visual imagination in Nepalese shamanic rituals.