Moving us through body expression
Under the aegis of the 'Thinking of the body as both rootedness and breakthrough' (MOVING BODY) project, the researcher Lucia Angelino took inspiration from eminent phenomenological philosophers such as Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jan Patocka. She aimed to improve our understanding of self and how symbolic acts improve our bonding within a community. The researcher phenomenologically analysed paradigmatic case studies for being-in-motion in areas such as painting, musical improvisation, literature and visual arts. Analysis revealed that an individual's communication with society through symbolic acts fulfils our need for bodily contact and intimacy. Such mental contact through collective symbolic acts like art-language could unite people with different perceptions and diverse cultures. Bodily acts such as art work affect the spectator's perception. This is an example of movement experience with a unique but powerful emotional influence that transcends barriers to communication. The researcher successfully demonstrated that bodily acts affect our consciousness, social and cultural empathy, and creativity. For instance, the formation of verbal communication was described as a means for individuals to interact dynamically within and beyond their communities. Project findings could find applications in maximising emotional impact in public spaces such as museums and art galleries, as well as designing aesthetically pleasing homes and workplaces.
