A collaborative open access series (editorial board member) This series is devoted to the social-cultural study of early modern knowledge cultures (ca.1450-1750). It promotes works that highlight the importance of science as a collective praxis, understood as a contested field informed by political, philosophical and confessional struggles for cultural hegemony, and in connection with social and economic interests. The emphasis on the political and ethical dimensions of agency should complement existing narratives on the materials, techniques, and meanings of learned and artistic practices. Moreover, since early modern knowledge was articulated and modified through its circulation within various realms of society, including artisanal circles and academic networks, it is crucial to investigate the institutional, political, and ideological settings of early-modern knowledge cultures. In how far did political antagonisms, ideological struggles, and religious tensions hinder scientific development or underpin it? How did the modern construction of identity along confessional, linguistic, and political lines affect the ethos and epistemic values of the sciences? What hegemonic values underpinned the early modern transformation of life and knowledge production?
The project focusses on material expressions of ownership claims to technological and artistic innovation. It looks at material artefacts as active agents that framed the conceptualisation of intellectual property and of notions like ‘originality’ and ‘novelty.’ Departing from a history that has identified reports, copyright registration files, patent models, or trademarks materials mainly as residues of abstract legal policies, we wish to tackle the performative nature of materials in claims to innovation and creativity and take a fresh view at the way knowledge was codified from a global view. Special issue History of Science: “Technologies of the Law / Law as a Technology”
The Global Knowledge Society is a large-scale research project that investigates the historical roots of knowledge societies. It focuses on the creation of a global knowledge society in the Low Countries from ca 1450 to 1800. By hosting scholars from all over the world and bringing them together in four working groups, it operates at the forefront of this flourishing field of study.
Corinth Art Platform (CAP) provides a stage for exploring the multifarious meanings of ‘art’ and ‘artist’ in the city of Corinth, Greece. Rethinking centre-periphery relationships, the aim is to problematise the role played by artists in contemporary society. Interventions, gatherings, and an annual residency programme contribute to a dynamic and ongoing experiment.