“The Greek term kairós expresses an idea of ‘grasping the right moment’, which travelled through art, literature, and philosophy. And even today, it is central to debates over, for example, time management. Combining perspectives from classical reception studies and iconology, this ongoing project at KU Leuven (2017-2021) is about the reception of kairós in the visual medium from antiquity to the Renaissance. How was the notion of kairós visualized in images throughout time, from antiquity to the early modern era? And more specifically, how did text and image work together to transform the notion of kairós in various contexts?”

The attending speakers from Belgium, Germany, France, Israel, Croatia, The Netherlands, Romania, The United Kingdom, The United States, and Switzerland have not only been selected on the basis of their interdisciplinary skills in the field; but equally because of their distinctive contribution to the method of iconology and visual anthropology.

Many among them are key influencers on, among other things, the importance of the Humanities in terms of peace process work, ecology, and the relationship between Eastern and Western civilizations.

Barbara Baert – Kunstwetenschappen KU Leuven – www.illuminare.be

PROGRAM

Thursday, 18 October

08.30-09.00 Registration

09.00-09.15 Welcome speech by Pierre Van Moerbeke,
Executive director of Francqui Foundation

09.15-09.30 Welcome speech by Luc Sels, Rector of KU
Leuven

09.30-10.00 Introduction by Barbara Baert

10.00-10.30 Coffee break

Part I
10.30-11.30 Giotto, the Eye and the Gaze - Victor Stoichia
Respondent: Herman Parret

11.30-12.30 Time in the Context of Ecclesia/Synagoga - Miri Rubin
Respondent: Inigo Bocken

12.30-14.00 Lunch

Part II
14.00-15.00 Epochal Madness: Notes on the Present Moment - W. J. T. Mitchell
Respondent: Stéphane Symons

15.00-16.00 e Manic Moment - Davide Stimilli
Respondent: Hedwig Schwall

16.00-16.30 Coffee break

16.30-17.30 e Silence of Lifta - Avinoam Shalem
Respondent: Amr Ryad

17.30-18.15 Presentation of the new series Recollection:
Experimental Reflections on Texts, Images and
Ideas - Veerle De Laet (Leuven University Press) & Ellen Harlizius-Klück

Friday 19 October

08.30-09.00 Welcome & coffee

Part III
09.00-10.00 e Nativity Church in Bethlehem as Kairotic
Space - Bianca Kühnel
Respondent: Marina Vicelja-Matijašic

10.00-11.00 L'occasion de la grâce dans le martyre - Pierre Antoine Fabre
Respondent: Ralph Dekoninck

11.00-11.30 Coffee break

11.30-12.30 A Dialogue of Early Buddhism, Hinduism and
Jainism on the Varieties of Auspicious Moments - Eugen Ciurtin
Respondent: Reimund Bieringer

12.30-14.00 Lunch

Part IV
14.00-15.00 Generating Synchronicity: Bodily and Affective
Techniques - Elisabeth Hsu
Respondent: Philippe Van Cauteren

15.00-16.00 The Moment of the Dangerous Women - Catherine Harper
Respondent: Ann-Sophie Lehmann

16.00-16.30 Coffee break

16.30-17.30 Concluding remarks - Han Lamers & Bart Verschaffel

17.30-18.00 Book presentations: Paul Peeters (Peeters Publishers) & Illuminare - Centre for the Study of Medieval Art

18.00-19.30 Farewell drinks

Contact and registration: stephanie.heremanskuleuven.be