Conference »Prognoses on Movement(s)«

On December 1-2, 2007, an interdisciplinary conference about »Prognoses on movement(s)« took place at the Berlin Free University’s Centre for Research on Movement, auditorium of the Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies Department.

Researchers from various fields, including cultural studies, philosophy, sociology, neurobiology, literature and media studies, religion studies, theatre, dance and performance studies, discussed the following questions:

• What is the status of prognosis today between an art or technique of forecasting and a science based on statistics? In what sense are prognoses performances, or ways of ‘staging’ knowledge?

• To what extent does a prognosis attempt to know the future – and to what extent is its target an intervention into the present situation, and its manipulation?

• Which political, economic, and social strategies make use of prognoses? How do the resulting dependencies affect our image of ourselves as a community of people who make decisions, both individually and collectively?

• Are there chances to democratize prognosis and its powerful influence on our sense and feeling of time? Can we imagine collective methods of developing and producing prognoses? Can we create new options for a larger number of people to participate in prognostic procedures?

Programme

Sat, 1.12.2007

9.30am
Welcome & Introduction

10.00 – 11.30

Samuel Weber:
On The Future of the Self and the Gegenwärtigkeit des Geistes
Download Paper as PDF file

Gabriele Brandstetter:
Prophetic scenes – telekinetic oracles and predictions
Abstract English

12.00 – 13.30

Susanne Gödde:
Rätselsprüche vom Nabel der Welt: Räumliche und mediale Aspekte von Orakelwissen in der griechischen Antike

Matthias Anton:
Divination in China: Patterns of Time. Preliminaries
Abstract English

15.00 Uhr – 16.30

Thomas Macho:
Die Lektüre der Hände. Prognostische Strategien, von der Chiromantie bis zur Graphologie

Bernt Schnettler:
Visions of the Future: The Plausibility Loss of Visionary Prophecies and the Fragmentation of Prognosis
Abstract English

17.00 – 18.30

Gerhard Berz:
Natural Disasters and Climate Change: Predictions and scenarios – will precautionary actions profit?
Abstract English

Ricarda Schubotz:
Movement and prediction: neurophysiological relations
Abstract English

Sun, 2.12.2007

9.30 – 11.00

Sibylle Peters:
Artistic mandate on the prognosis of the future – a plea for the performance of prognosis
Abstract English

Heike Roms:
‘repeat it, repeat it, repeat it until something new enters the world’ – Performance, Archive and the Future
Abstract English

11.30 – 13.00

Janez Jansa:
2023+ (a curatorial project)

Zoe Laughlin:
A Sound Forecast: Making Objects for Brian Eno
Abstract English

14.30 -16.00

Gesa Ziemer:
Accomplices, Gangs, Teams, Couples, Collaborators… Or: How can we predict productive (working-) relationships?
Abstract English

Ludger Schwarte
U-Chronia and prognosis: The attraction of technology
Abstract English

16.30 – 18.00

Rüdiger Campe:
How to use the future: the old European and the modern forms of life
Abstract English

Kai van Eikels:
A WILL TO KNOW THE FUTURE? Prognosis and Politics
Abstract English
Download paper as PDF file