With ELISABETH BRONFEN, literary and cultural scholar, Professor of English and American Studies at the University of Zurich.
In a loose series, the Akademie Schloss Solitude will host Familiar Talks in the years 2012 and 2013 between artists, scientists, persons from the economy and from politics as well as with the initiator and host Asmus Trautsch.
The philosopher, composer, and poet was a fellow in the art, science & business program in 2010/2011.
The political, cultural, and economic crises of the early 21st century are also crises of knowledge and orientation. Accordingly, the need for clear decisions based on the knowledge of experts increased within pluralistic societies. Nevertheless, expert knowledge does not only communicate deeper insights; due to the complexity of crises that affect different social areas and due to the separation of fields of expert knowledge, it also creates new uncertainties. Everyone has to face these uncertainties with his own power of imagination and judgment.
Elisabeth Bronfen is professor at the English Department of the University of Zurich. Her main field of research is the Anglo-American literature of the 19th and 20th century. Additionally, she published numerous works within the framework of gender studies, psycho-analysis, film and cultural studies as well as contributions to exhibition catalogs. The works by the American and Swiss citizen Elisabeth Bronfen are characterized by precise descriptions and analyses of society, literature, and art. The author bears the special talent to write on scientific topics without limiting herself to the scientific community. Her professorial dissertation Nur über ihre Leiche. Tod, Weiblichkeit und Ästhetik (Over her Dead Body. Death, Femaleness, and Aesthetics, 1993) was dedicated to the topic of female corpses in literature and art and became an international bestseller. Currently, she is working on a study about war cinema and a study about Queen Elizabeth I as the first diva.
The host is Asmus Trautsch in conjunction with the art, science & business program.
Entrance: 8 Euro (regular), 6 Euro (discount)