Making Sense of Making and the Environment

David Howes

The Chapters of Part 1 offer a survey and critique of extant work in sensory archaeology and sensory futures. Chapter 1.1 opens with an account of the “sensorial revolution” in the human sciences, and then uses the recently published book, New Sensory Approaches to the Past as a prism to reflect on how scholars of heritage and archaeology have come to their senses in recent years, followed by an account of how architectural historians have done likewise, and concluding with a discussion of crafting and the senses. Chapter 1.2 surveys the emergent field of futures anthropology and notes how much it is indebted to the sensorial revolution. It then frames a series of questions for future studies, such as: What is the relationship between techniques of the senses (i.e. embodied sensing) and the technologization of the sensorium (e.g., the exponential growth in our dependence on prosthetic extensions, implants, the Internet)? Does the precession of simulation necessarily entail the recession of reality? Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ubiquitous computing obviate sentience, never mind Traditional Knowledge (TK)? What are the prospects for humanity to throw off its “mortal coil” (e.g., cryonics) and transcend earthly existence (e.g., inhabit outer space)?

Sensory (Re)Construction as a Way of Knowing, the Case of Thornbury Castle, 1508-1521

Sheryl Boyle

Sheryl BoyleThe Chapters of Part 2 focus on Thornbury Castle, built by Edward Stafford, the Third Duke of Buckingham (1478-1521) between 1508 and 1521 CE. Together they introduce sensory (re)construction as a way of knowing—drawing us as close to the experiences, practices, people and places of another time as possible, and creating an embodied understanding and representation of the setting, experiences and practices of the network of artisans at a construction site. Boyle proposes that investigating the relationship between building and other craft practices enmeshed in the cosmology of a particular historical time and place can reveal the symbiotic relationship between making and knowing.

Framed by the 13 years that Thornbury functioned as a construction site, the Chapters of Part 2 approach the building as an “epistemic site”—a place that informs and is informed by the continual process of making by masons, carpenters, cooks, gardeners, painters, and tailors alongside the Duke and his extended family. The methodology reconstructs the work in three layers over the course of three chapters, with each chapter building upon its predecessor. In Chapter 2.1, the setting of the site is reconstructed using works of the pen—historical texts, notes, letters, chronicles and drawings. In Chapter 2.2, the analysis of the setting is used to reconstruct several epistemic objects in the world of the early modern artisan and reveal their interconnections—including practices, materials and tools that evidence the “trading zones” between them. In Chapter 2.3, the analysis in the two previous chapters is scaffolded to reconstruct practices which are then used to create a performative sensory environment consisting of a series of projective sensory (re)constructions. These take the form of fragrant walls, delectable windows, chimneys, and a “table of delight.” The form of each project reveals the process and wit (an archaic term for the senses) which the author enjoins with the artisans of the early 16th century, and include edibles in the form of sotelties (or entremets) to be consumed over discussion and with delight.

Probing the Cosmic Sensorium

Genevieve Collins

The Chapters of Part 2 reflect on the designing and staging of ETHER, an immersive sensory environment designed to engage and combine the senses in novel ways. The exhibition, inspired by the immersive multi-modal installations of Chris Salter and David Howes, blended art and anthropology to craft a discernible atmosphere capable of transporting participants and introducing them to new |ways of sensing.” Staged at ExperiSens in Montréal in 2021, ETHER included video projections, aromas, drinks, and an immersive soundscape designed to engage with speculative futures through sensory perception. After progressing through the exhibition, visitors participated in small group interviews where they reacted to the experience, reflected on their “sensorium,” and discussed themes of outer space and futurity. Sensory ethnography, an approach involving attunement to the senses and “feeling along with” research participants, constituted a guiding research method. Additionally, the study explored the possibilities for sensing in outer space through an approach we term sensory extrapolation: the blending of research-creation, sensory ethnography, and futures anthropology to imaginatively extend the sensorium. The text outlines the exhibition design process, discusses the unique reactions of participants to the immersive sensory environment, and reflexively considers the research-creation methods. The study ultimately ruminates on the possibility of immersive sensory environments to engage with futures, probe the cosmic sensorium, and inspire a sense of wonder.