Power, Space, and Culture II

 

The conference ‘Power, Space, and Culture II.’ seeks to continue an earlier discussion conducted as part of the Archeo-Oriental studies project of the University of Warsaw about how the concepts of ‘power’ and ‘space’ are constructed and represented across various cultures on different continents, both in the ancient and the modern world.

We are interested in a range of representations of power, focusing on but not limited to architectural manifestations of power (including palaces, monuments, and tombs), urban planning and design, and landscape planning. Additionally, we seek to investigate activities such as infrastructure development and ceremonial practices, narrative structures, and the creation of maps connected to the elaboration of power in space. Exploring the role of tradition and cultural memory in forming these symbols, as well as the influence of modernity is a key point of the event.

Our primary focus is on how these representations articulate perceptions of space, including its organization, division, integration, and the implications of borders—specifically, how they are defined and negotiated, who is permitted access to spaces delineated by power, and the underlying rationale for these distinctions. Underpinning the comparative aspect of the event, we would like to provide a platform for discussing the different definitions of ‘power’ and ‘authority’ used in different fields.