An interdisciplinary workshop with contributions by Paul Basu, Rainer Hatoum, Ines Kleesattel, Dave Keta’cik Nicolai, Philipp Noble, Rani Singh, Ute Sengebusch, Eric Vandendriessche; organized by Mareile Flitsch, Mario Schulze, Sarine Waltenspül.
String figures are among the oldest cultural techniques known to humanity. In anthropology, string figures were long considered a universal game. As early as 1888, Franz Boas described the string figures of the Kwakiutl. Subsequently, European-American ethnologists ʻcollected’ string figures on cardboard or made drawings, photos and films from almost all regions of the world. String figures also served as an inspiration for modern artists like Maya Deren and Harry Smith. In recent years, string figures have gained prominence in cultural theory. Donna Haraway promotes string figures as a method of thinking and collaboration between both disciplines and species. The workshop seeks to weave connections between anthropology, history of knowledge and film, mathematics, and performance.
Limited number of participants; please register by Tuesday 06.06., by phone: 044 634 90 11 or e-mail: musethno@vmz.uzh.ch. Programme details will follow on musethno.uzh.ch.
