Symposium: From Melancholy to Euphoria: The materialisation of emotion in Middle Eastern Manuscripts

Date: Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th June
Venue: The University of Melbourne

This symposium will examine the relationship between materiality, the textual content, and the emotional resonance that is elicited by those engaging with the texts. Taking the various manifestations of love, both religious and secular, depicted within these texts, and linking these to the great Persian stories told in text and music, this seminar will explore how a deep understanding of the text and the depiction of the stories within traverses an emotional continuum from melancholy to euphoria.

Presenters:
Associate Professor Mandana Barkeshli, Dr Stefano Carboni (Director of Art Gallery of Western Australia), Prof Amir Zekrgoo (Professor of Islamic & Oriental Arts Department of Applied Art & Design, IIUM), and local and international experts.

The program includes a Public Lecture by Dr Carboni, ‘The materialisation of emotion in Islamic illustrated manuscripts’; Persian musical performance with Timothy Johannessen; a poetry recital with Professor Amir Zekrgoo; and Sama dance with Samira Khonsari.

This symposium is supported by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions and the Crescent Foundation. Full symposium details and registration details at: http://go.unimelb.edu.au/2ct6