Special section editorial

Corporeality / Sensoriality / Materiality: Body-centered interpretations of South African art

Abstract

This edited collection of articles deals with the body as it is presented, represented, performed, solicited and experienced through an encounter with art. In their different contributions, each author engages with the body as both a research tool and as a source of tacit knowledge. Their focus on the body in the production and reception of art has its roots in what have variously been referred to as the corporeal turn, the sensory turn, and the material turn. In what follows, and at the risk of generalising the nuances of these complex topics, I briefly sketch the premises of these “turns” and, in doing so, elaborate on the theoretical frameworks that underpin our articles.