Agenda

01 Oct 2024 16:00

WATERSCAPES | Boiling Point: Body Culture at the Fringe of Empire

Ca' Bottacin, Yellow Room

Tuesday, October 1, 2024
16:00-17:30
Ca’ Bottacin, Yellow Room

Boiling Point: Body Culture at the Fringe of Empire

Rachel Gottesman
Bezalel Academy

Abstract:

Nestled between the steep cliffs of a tributary of the Jordan River, in an enclave located between Israel, Syria, and Jordan, lies the hot springs site of Hamat Gader. Positioned in a geological rift, Hamat Gader is endowed with five mineral-rich hot springs, serving as a center for health and recreation since classical antiquity.
Throughout its history, Hamat Gader has been shaped by the tumultuous shifts of imperial powers, each leaving a distinct material and cultural imprint. The site showcases a rich tapestry of structures: an ancient Jewish synagogue, Roman baths and theatre, a mosque, a Turkish hammam, a British recreation resort, a Syrian luxury hotel, and a contemporary Israeli spa complex. Each era introduced a unique Body Culture—a set of ideals, norms, and practices related to the body, health, hygiene, purity, religious beliefs, social constructions, and notions of sex, gender, and nudity.
This talk will explore Hamat Gader's bio-cultural legacy, presenting it as a longue durée narrative of hedonic Body Culture amidst political strife, violence, and colonial aspirations. It will delve into how each epoch's prevailing powers have shaped the site's cultural and material heritage, weaving a complex story of nature-human relations through themes of health, pleasure, and power.

Language

The event will be held in English

Organized by

NICHE, UNESCO Chair

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