Exploring the Microphenomenology of Artistic and Contemplative Practice

This session includes a brief introduction to Petrine Vinjes artistic research project, Transforming Memories. On the potent of the Materiality, the Motif and Consciousness through Touch and is followed by a presentation by Martijn van Beek (Aarhus University). The aim of this afternoon session would be to look upon similarities between artistic and contemplative practices, and outline directions for future research on the topic. This session will invite to further discussions on the potent of the Materiality, and its connections to the neurophysiological system, emphasizing the self-organizing powers of several nonhuman processes in relationship with the human sub-conciousness. The session will present and explore in practice micro-phenomenological research methods that aim to help people become aware of the micro-gestures and synchronic and diachronic dynamics of experience in contemplative practices and art-as-practice. What do we do, exactly, when we engage in a contemplative or artistic practice? What happens in our body, our sense perceptions, our mind? What similarities, if any, are there between contemplative and artistic practices and how may microphenomenology help us identify them?