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Anatomical Theater: Technology, Visuality and Dramaturgy Seminar, 4th of February 2025
AIAS: Aarhus University’s Center for Advanced Studies
Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 6B, DK-8000 Aarhus C
https://aias.au.dk/aias-fellows/collaborative-theme-groups-3-2-1-go/anatomical-theater
Dissection is a challenging medical discipline that forms a constitutive part of medical history from its development in early modern anatomical theaters till today. It helped create the first modern scientific knowledge of the bodily interior but at the same time, dissection was (and is) emotionally charged, ethically challenging, and strongly influenced by artistic, literary, and theatrical framings.
In this interdisciplinary seminar we discuss technological, visual and dramaturgical strategies for investigating anatomy and disseminating anatomical knowledge. The seminar is organized as part of an ongoing interdisciplinary research project with the title Early Modern and Contemporary Dissection as Investigative Art.
Everybody is welcome: researchers from all disciplines and students! We hope for an interdisciplinary dialogue!
9.00-9.30: Coffee and tea
9.30-10.00: Welcome and Opening Talk by Karen-Margrethe Simonsen, Associate Professor, Comparative Literature.
The anatomical theater: Investigative Aesthetics and Transhistorical Perspectives
10.00-10.35: Maaike Bleeker, Professor, Media and Performance Studies, Utrecht University
The Dramaturgy of Anatomy: Some Lessons Learned
My presentation will reflect on how the history of anatomy, theater, technology, visuality, and dramaturgy have come together in my work over the past twenty years and how this has involved various crossovers between academic research and theatrical practice.
10.35-11.00: Coffee and tea
11.00-11.35: Ken Arnold, Professor Copenhagen University/Medical Museion, Director of Medical Museion
Medical Museion as Theatre.
Taking the auditorium at the center of Medical Museion’s premises as a jumping off point, I will speculate on the value of thinking about museums as ‘theatrical spaces’. What historical, philosophical, curatorial and sociological insights might be derived from taking this analogy ?
11.35-12.10: Morten Arnika Skydsgaard, senior curator, PhD, Science Museums, Aarhus University.
There is no need for dramaturgy. Collected objects and a 20th Century anatomical theater from Institute of Pathology, 1950-2018.
Autopsy tables made of steel, headrests, knives, chisels, and a collection of 100 specimens used for teaching medical students for 70 years. Drawing on collected stories and materiality, I will reflect on the power of authenticity in our communication of the body at the Steno Museum
12.10-12.20: Concluding remarks
OBS: Due to catering, please register for the seminar here before February 2nd: https://events.au.dk/anatomicaltheater
The Seminar is sponsored by AIAS and by DFF.
It is organized by the interdisciplinary research project: Anatomical Theater: Early Modern and Contemporary Dissection as Investigative Art, which is now hosted as a 3-2-1-go Collaborative Theme Group at AIAS: https://aias.au.dk/aias-fellows/collaborative-theme-groups-3-2-1-go