| dc.description.abstract | This paper begins by charting the emergence of sensory studies as an autonomous field and method of inquiry. Its
genesis is traced to the sensory turn in a range of humanities and social science disciplines, which gave rise to such
fields as the history of the senses, anthropology of the senses, and, most recently, sensory museology. Incorporating
a sensory studies approach into the curation of indigenous artifacts has resulted in a radical transformation of “the
exhibitionary complex.” In place of didactic displays which isolate artifacts in glass cases, the emphasis now is on the
museum space as a kind of sensory gymnasium in which visitors are invited to experiment with alternate ways of
sensing through encounters with objects of diverse provenance. Citing examples which range from Iroquois false face
masks to the Inca quipu (a 3D mnemonic device composed of knotted strings of varying colours), this paper makes a
case for sensebased investigations of the varieties of aesthetic experience across cultures. It also reports on some
of the findings of the “Mediations of Sensation” project (on which I have been collaborating with Chris Salter) that has
involved creating intercultural, performative sensory environments for the communication of anthropological
knowledge, as an alternative to both the ethnographic monograph and ethnographic film. | |
