Call for Papers – International Conference Sensory Histories of Water 2-4 April 2025 at Museu Marítim de Barcelona, Spain

The conference, held 2-4 April 2025 in Museu Maritím de Barcelona, wishes to cover various topics in connection to sensory history of water. Papers thus may, but are not limited to, include and engage with the following overarching themes:

● Water as a sensible matter: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and/or olfactory experiences of water(s); how they are discussed and represented by different cultures.
● The sensory experience of water of individuals and/or continental and waterfront communities; sensing water as a means of exchange, contact, and friction; emotional responses to water.
● The sensory impact of water on humankind: its influence on community formation, social practices, traditions, cultural productions, and/or rituals; water and well-being.
● Water and identities: the perception and uses of water in communicating and forming individual, social, gender, religious, and cultural identities.
● Water and space: the perception of water informing experiences of shared, individual, public, and private spaces, their usage, and definition.
● Water epistemologies: sensing water as a means of generating knowledge and cultural meaning; water symbolism, water in alchemy, science, magic, mythology, and folklore.

If you are interested in contributing, we will welcome your abstract proposals of 300 words for a paper of 20 minutes and questions no later than 30 October 2024 to sensorywaters2025@gmail.com.

The conference is organised by:

Dr. Antonio Arnieri, UAB – Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona
Dr. des. Tin Cugelj, IMS Study Group Auditory History
Dr. Alexandros Maria Hatzikiriakos, University of St Andrews