Symposium om narrativer og forestilte verdener

Concepts of narratives and imaginaries are of growing interest to scholars in disciplines across the social sciences and humanities. As two distinct but related concepts, they are increasingly being drawn on to steer research at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities (SVT).

This has inspired the SVT to organise a symposium illuminating some perspectives across this vast scholarship, for a general audience.

The morning session will explore concepts of narrative with a focus on film and visual media. Invited guest Mieke Bal will give a lecture on the topic of ‘Thinking in Film’, looking at the possibilities of film for story-telling and visual philosophy. Asbjørn Grønstad from the University of Bergen will also look at cinematic thinking, with a particular focus on how films deal with ethics, while Rasmus Slaattelid from the SVT will look at the powerful visual narratives told through images of climate change.

The afternoon session turns to look at the concepts of imaginaries. Gay countercultures, democracy, innovations in science and technology, or the re-occurrence of religion in public life: all of these and more can be approached through a concept of imaginaries.
But what does the concept mean, and how do different disciplines appropriate imaginaries, and using which approaches? These questions will be at the core of the afternoon lectures by NTNU’s Tomas Moe Skjølsvold, UiB’s Ingrid Foss Ballo, and the SVT’s Kjetil Rommetveit.

The symposium is free and open for all interested. Welcome!

Programme:

Wednesday 2 September 16.30 – 19.00
Venue: Seminar room 3rd floor, Allègaten 34
We will show and discuss Mieke Bal’s film ‘Madame B’

Thursday 3 September  09.30 – 16.00
Venue: Litteraturhuset , Østre Skostredet 5-7
09.30    Welcome, Matthias Kaiser director of the SVT
09.35  -  09.50     Introduction to the morning session, Scott Bremer SVT
09.50  -  10.35     Mieke Bal, University of Amsterdam
10.35  -  11.10     Asbjørn Grønstad, UiB
11.10  -  11.25     Coffee break
11.25  -  12.00     Rasmus Slaatelid, SVT
12.00  -  12.30     Plenary discussion

12.30  -  13.30     Lunch
13.30  -  13.35     Introduction to the afternoon session, Helene Nilsen, SVT
13.35  -  14.05     Kjetil Rommetveit, SVT
14.05  -  14.45     Tomas Moe Skjølsvold, NTNU
14.45  -  15.00     Coffee break
15.00  -  15.30     Ingrid Foss Ballo, UiB
15.30  -  16.00     Plenary discussion