Taking approaches drawn from cultural studies and particularly from new cultural history, the network Materiality and Virtuality is dedicated to an interdisciplinary historically and anthropologically focused understanding of the interdependencies between virtual and material realities. Materiality and virtuality do not form an irreconcilable, binary opposition; rather, in our view, it is their productive interaction that produces the texture of meanings from which “realities” are made.
We assume that people generate culture in ever new processes of negotiation in the interplay of virtuality and materiality: Be it because cultural imprints are only ideationally available and order, filter, or shape human perceptions of the physical world, or, on the other hand, these ordering performances in everyday interaction with materiality decisively shape virtually generated ideas.
We proceed from the hypothesis that the mechanisms of productive entanglement of materiality and virtuality become particularly evident in times of intensified change, which are often experienced as times of crisis. Therefore, we are interested in two periods of fundamental transformations: the transition from the Middle Ages to the early modern period and the changes of the late 20th and early 21st century.
The aim of our network is to conduct cross-cultural, interdisciplinary research on reciprocal interaction between materiality and virtuality and the associated fields of conflict. Our methodological goal is to develop methods and tools for working with material and immaterial sources, to generate innovations in disciplinary engagement with virtual research data, and to develop models for testing the usability of these configurations.
Click here for or more information on the network’s activities; if you are interested in the topics discussed during our first conference see here and here
Video Recordings of the conference presentations are available on the UniTV website.
Researcher
Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Christina Antenhofer | University of Salzburg
Dr. Gruber Elisabeth | University of Salzburg
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Kühberger Christoph | University of Salzburg
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Kern Manfred | University of Salzburg
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Arno Strohmeyer | Austrian Academy of Science
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Georg Vogeler | University of Graz
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Brigitta Schmidt-Lauber | University of Vienna
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Karin Harrasser | University of Art and Design Linz
Univ.-Doz. PD MMag. Dr. Heinrich Ammerer | University of Salzburg
Univ.-Prof. Dipl. Ing. Nikolaus Augsten, PhD | University of Salzburg
Assoz. Prof. Dr. Anna Kathrin Bleuler | University of Salzburg
Assoz. Prof. Dr. Brauer Michael | University of Salzburg
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Marko Demantowsky | University of Vienna
Mag. Dr. Bakk.rer.nat. Dr.h.c. Univ.-Doz. Jasmine Dum-Tragut | University of Salzburg
Ass.-Prof. Dr. Bernhard Fuchs | University of Vienna
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Christian Heuer | University of Graz
Dr.in Isabella Nicka | University of Salzburg
Dr.in Sarah Kolb | University of Art and Design Linz
Dr. Stephan Kurz | Austrian Academy of Science
Dr. Thomas Kühtreiber | University of Salzburg
Assoz.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Gottfried E. Kreuz | University of Salzburg
MMag. Dr.in Sarah Lang | University of Graz, B.A., M.A., M.A.
Univ.-Prof. Dr.in Jasmin Mersmann | University of Art and Design Linz
Mag.a Dr.in Lena Oetzel | University of Salzburg
Assist.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Schäler | University of Salzburg
Dr.in Heike Schlie | University of Salzburg
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Alexander Sokolicek | University of Salzburg
Assoz. Univ.-Prof.in Mag.a Dr.in Regina Thumser-Wöhs | Johannes Kepler University, Linz
Prof. Dr. Andreas Uhl | University of Salzburg
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Alexander Zerfaß | University of Salzburg
Ass. Prof. Chiara Zuanni, PhD | University of Graz
Partner
DALME Documentary Archeology of Late Medieval Europe, Harvard University/Geogetown University
Mobility of Objects Across Boundaries, 1100-1700; University of Chester, The Open University
Matters of Activity, Excellenzcluster Berlin
