Circulations, Transfers, Reconfigurations. Cultural Dynamics of Creation: Across Time and Space (Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Allemagne)

 Circulations, Transfers, Reconfigurations. Cultural Dynamics of Creation: Across Time and Space 

Organized by: Dr. Khadija Benthami 

One-day Workshop – Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt/Germany 

Date: 25.11.2025 

In a world characterized by constant exchanges of ideas, objects, images, and stories, questions about circulation and transfer are central to human and social sciences. These phenomena are not only modern; they have shaped cultural history from the earliest commercial and intellectual routes of the modern era to the digital networks of the 21st century. As Michel Espagnes said «Tout passage d’un objet culturel d’un contexte dans un autre a pour conséquence une transformation de son sens, une dynamique de resémantisation, […] Transférer, ce n’est pas transporter, mais plutôt métamorphoser…» (2013) [Any passage of a cultural object from one context to another results in a transformation of its meaning, a dynamic of re-semanticization, […] To transfer is not to transport, but rather to metamorphose…]. 

The dynamics of circulation are expressed through languages, contexts, and time. They depend on various factors that shape their nature and transfer. Whether through cultural festivals or digital platforms, each setup supports certain exchanges and restricts others. Mediators—such as translators, editors, curators, producers, and teachers—play a crucial role in shaping content and its reception. Understanding cultural circulation involves analyzing these relays, their logic, their constraints, and their potential for change. As Bourdieu (1992) pointed out, every circulation is part of a cultural field structured by power, and the analysis of transfer should consider these issues of legitimacy and symbolic capital. 

Cultural circulation involves a complex process of transformation, appropriation, and reinterpretation. Homi K. Bhabha emphasizes the hybridity zones where new meanings emerge, while Edward W. Said (1978) demonstrates how circulating representations are also sites of power. The global flow of culture, described by Arjun Appadurai (1996) through “ethnoscapes” and “mediascapes”, now unfolds in an environment where both material and symbolic borders are constantly changing. 

This workshop aims to provide an interdisciplinary space for reflection and a diachronic perspective on how forms, concepts, and viewpoints are expressed across space, language, gender, and eras. It invites scholars from literary studies, art history, cinema, musicology, cultural anthropology, and media studies to cross perspectives 

Addressing questions of circulation and transfer requires using a variety of conceptual tools from different disciplines: history, anthropology, visual studies, sociology, information science, 

literary studies, and more. This approach encourages reflection on the methods themselves: how to track an object or idea across different spaces, languages, and forms. How to incorporate local perspectives while considering global logics? It is within this interdisciplinary space that the analytical richness of these studies unfolds, allowing connections between phenomena as diverse as the circulation of stories, the migration of images, or the transfer of artisanal techniques. 

Possible axes (non-exhaustive list) 

Without any geographical or temporal limits, the workshop aims to highlight the following points: 

- Textual circulations (translation, adaptation, rewriting) 

- Image transfer and artistic forms 

- Concepts of migration and mobility theory (reappropriation of concepts and methods between disciplines) 

- Dialogical cultures and disciplines 

- Mobility effects on human and material creation 

- Transcultural dynamics: exchanges between linguistic areas, dialogues between dominant and peripheral cultures 

- Historic mobility: artists’ trips, cultural diplomacy, etc. 

The workshop will take place over a single day and will adopt a deliberately dynamic format: 

• Short presentations (15-20 minutes) followed by group discussions 

• Final roundtable discussion to identify shared perspectives 

• Open to all members of the university and the interested public 

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Please note: 

 The workshop will take place in a hybrid format, allowing participants to join either in person or online. Please note that we are unable to reimburse travel or accommodation costs, but we are happy to assist in finding suitable accommodation if needed. 

 Please submit a 250-300-word abstract and a short bio (100 words) by November 5th, 2025, to transfer.workshop25@gmail.com. Participants will be notified by November 10th. 

The presentation will be made in English. 

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Bibliography: 

Appadurai, Arjun. Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996. 

Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. London: Routledge, 1994. 

Bourdieu, Pierre. Les Règles de l’art. Paris: Seuil, 1992. 

Espagne, Michel. Les transferts culturels franco-allemands. Paris: PUF, 2013. 

Espagne, Michel. “La notion de transfert culturel”, Revue Sciences/Lettres (En ligne), 1 | 2013. https://doi.org/10.4000/rsl.219 

Said, Edward W. Orientalism. New York: Pantheon Books, 1978.