Overlapping Landscapes at the IMC

'Overlapping Landscapes: Past and Present Selves'

- My paper at this year's International Medieval Congress at Leeds

Having had such a hoot at last year's IMC, where I presented a paper on Cosmè Tura's 'Virgin and Child Enthroned', I immediately submitted an abstract for this year's congress. A year later, the abstract I had submitted happened to have predicted almost precisely what I am currently working on (genius!), and thus was born an interesting paper on overlapping times and spaces within single artworks. I progressed from Byzantine Old Testament landscapes evoked in New Testament scenes, to continuous narrative, and finally culminating in explorations of fifteenth-century Ferrarese paintings.  

This year I commuted from York, so didn't go the whole hog like last year -- sessions, pints, session, wine, more wine, partying, repeat -- but rather I attended a few fascinating panels, lunched with some friends I hadn't seen in a good while, attended more sessions, met new people at wine receptions or post-panel, and returned to York. 

Highlights were: session 1105 ''Another Dante', II: Salvation in and After the Commedia' (including an intriguing analysis of musical prayers in Paradiso and the status of Pagans in the afterlife); session 1206 'Living Religion in the City in Medieval Central Italy' (after which I had a cider in the sun with the delightful speakers); and session 1625 'Apocalyptic Alterity: Otherness and the End Times' (which was thoroughly riveting and engaged with pertinent modern-day issues, dealing with patterns of prophesying throughout the Middle Ages using a single case study and exploring notions of androgyny/hermaphroditism at the beginning times and end times and how the soul relates to the body's gender).

The true highlight, of course, was *my* session, which - alas! - was the 'graveyard' slot this year, the very last session of the conference. Funnily enough, I was presenting in the same room as last year, the difference being that last year the room had been packed out. Thankfully, about eight people did turn up, and they were all hugely interested and interesting. The panel was 1703 'World within Worlds: the Many Different Layers in Medieval Art and Literature'. One particular paper given by a certain Katja Weidner (with whom I went for a chat and a drink in the sun afterwards) intermeshed so fascinatingly - and I might say perfectly - with mine, though relating to an earlier medieval tale about a monk and a bird. Both our papers explored the intersections between different places, the visible and invisible, overlapping spaces and times, both even drawing on Augustine. The Q&A afterwards gradually transformed into a stimulating seminar format, speakers and audience all discussing avidly. I must say, the audience may have been smaller than some, but they were stellar! 

All in all, a good show.