Revelatory Meeting of September 30, 2022

October 1, 2022

On September 30, 2022, SMRN had another warm meeting with a group of members, including Nezih Erdoğan, Steven Baris, Kalpana Subramanian, Azadeh Emadi, Masayuki Iwase, Niusha Hatefinia, Somayeh Khakshoor, and J.R. Osborn.

This time, in the first part of the meeting, our member Nezih Erdogan presented his work-in-progress titled 'Representing the Imaginal: Three Scenes from Turkish Popular Cinema.' Following Nezih's presentation, J.R. Osborn introduced his new project focused on archiving diagrams. He sought potential collaborators within the SMRN community and proposed an open discussion on diagrams among SMRN members.

Nezih's presentation revolved around the concept of the imaginal realm, focusing on three scenes from Turkish popular films of the '60s and '70s. The central question was whether films themselves are aware of the imaginal realm, despite our awareness of their imaginal powers. Nezih explored the ways in which these films represent the imaginal, primarily through sound and music.

            In the second part of the meeting, in his presentation, J.R. Osborn introduced a fascinating project focused on archiving diagrams and explored the multifaceted nature of diagrams as tools for representing complex relationships. He emphasized the challenge of defining what a diagram truly is and highlighted its in-between status, bridging the realms of text and image. Drawing inspiration from thinkers like Charles Peirce and Deleuze and Guattari, Osborn characterized diagrams as iconic representations of relationships and prompts for dialogue.

As he mentioned, the project aims to build a comprehensive archive of diagrams, particularly those found in academic texts, which serve to model conceptual relationships. The online platform provides a visual index of these diagrams, each accompanied by relevant details and metadata. Osborn invited the SMRN community to contribute diagrams, suggest related traditions or visual practices that blur the line between text and image, and share ideas for expanding the project into an encyclopedia or reference work. This initiative seeks to shed light on the unique communicative power of diagrams and their role in shaping our understanding of complex concepts, inviting collaboration and exploration within the academic community.

These two presentations were followed by engaging discussions with the members in the form of questions, answers, and exchanges of thought-provoking feedback afterward.