The Response Events conference gathers scholars examining how individual experiences of representations can sometimes become life-changing events

Artworks and cultural productions affect us more or less. In rare occasions, their encounter can trigger a life-changing event. These rare and unexpected individual moments can be shared as narratives, some of which are found in literature.

The Response Events research-creation project led at the University of Tartu, in collaboration with Aix-Marseille University and University of Côte d’Azur, culminates with a conference on November 19-21, a doctoral workshop and three art exhibitions.

This project examines how individual experiences of representations (literary, artistic, cinematographic, etc.) can sometimes become life-changing events or “response events” for readers or spectators. The notion of response event is based on Alain Badiou’s understanding of the event: “the event is first the onset of the inexistent and the onset of an inexistent brings about in its periphery a figure of destruction”. It also builds on Claude Romano’s reflection on the event, which makes sense through an individual, “opening a world by reconfiguring its possibilities”. Therefore, even if the response event is caused by an unexpected encounter with a representation, it seems to respond to a matured situation for the individual.

The Response Events conference gathers scholars examining the concept of response event from multiple perspectives in order to enrich the understanding of this phenomena in Jakobi 2-114 and on BigBlueButton: https://button.ut.ee/b/lii-rle-2lb-kzp

Further information:
https://www.maailmakeeled.ut.ee/et/osakonnad/konverents-response-events
Sara Bédard-Goulet (University of Tartu, sara.bedard-goulet@ut.ee)
Damien Beyrouthy (Aix-Marseille University, damien.beyrouthy@univ-amu.fr)
Frédéric Vinot (University of Côte d’Azur, frederic.vinot@univ-cotedazur.fr)