Air Pressure: a sound film

Introduction: Skilled mediations

“…Thus media, in our understanding, connect, afford, shape and in the same breath sometimes obstructively and persistently stand in the way of knowledge making. Recently rekindled anthropological interest in ‘sound films’ and ‘auditory journeys’ (see for example Carlyle and Cox ; Karel ) also resonates with our focus. However, our own way of ‘explicitly link[ing] the realms of sensory perception, aesthetic appreciation and the operation of technology in describing cultural otherness’ (Cox et al .…”

Kulick, Don and JensRydström. 2015. Loneliness and its opposite: sex, disability, and the ethics of engagement. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. 362 pp. Pb.: £17.99. ISBN: 9780822358336.

“…Thus media, in our understanding, connect, afford, shape and in the same breath sometimes obstructively and persistently stand in the way of knowledge making. Recently rekindled anthropological interest in 'sound films' and 'auditory journeys' (see for example Carlyle and Cox 2016;Karel 2016) also resonates with our focus. However, our own way of 'explicitly link[ing] the realms of sensory perception, aesthetic appreciation and the operation of technology in describing cultural otherness' (Cox et al 2016: 4) pivots on the notion of skilled mediation.…”

“…Recently rekindled anthropological interest in 'sound films' and 'auditory journeys' (see for example Carlyle and Cox 2016;Karel 2016) also resonates with our focus. However, our own way of 'explicitly link[ing] the realms of sensory perception, aesthetic appreciation and the operation of technology in describing cultural otherness' (Cox et al 2016: 4) pivots on the notion of skilled mediation. Far from considering the senses tout-court as a form of mediation, we are interested in the forms of training the senses, with and through apparata, devices and interfaces, which fully articulate the mediatory role of learning how-to-do-things with 'media' of various kinds: objects, artefacts, instruments, digital interfaces, cameras, etc.…”

“…Pink 2012). Case studies from anthropology, history of science and the visual arts support this stance (see for example Grasseni 2007;Cox et al 2016). With this special section of Social Anthropology we introduce the notion of 'skilled mediations', building on reflections and appropriations of Grasseni's 'skilled visions' approach, which stated that 'the making, exchange and manipulation of focusing media plays a fundamental part in the ecology of everyday vision and even of imagination' (Grasseni 2004: 44, our italics).…”

“…Incompatible but strongly normative ontologies on food and the body compete for eaters in their attempt at establishing what it is like to 'enjoy your food' (2012). Cox et al (2016) indicate 'critical practices beyond text' as ways of performing sensory anthropology through multiple media. Through innovative fieldwork methods, they respond to the challenge of conceiving of anthropological ways of knowing as understandings of the world -in turn enabled by specific aesthetic practices -rather than representational truths, experi menting with different visual, aural and textual forms.…”