Ecologies of Marble. A Diachronic Perspective

• Applicant: Dr. Marthe Kretzschmar
• Subject Area: Art History
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 549836549

The network Ecologies of Marble combines recent art-scientific approaches from materials research with the complex discourses on ecological issues that are being promoted within many disciplines, focusing on a specific material - marble. As one of the most important and constantly used materials in architecture and the visual arts, the cultural and artistic interest in this natural stone is the cause of radical interventions in the natural environment. The aim is to bring together the various studies on marble and to critically rethink their various analytical approaches. Through the polyphonic work in the network, the boundaries between genres, regions, and epochs, which are determined by the history of the disciplines, can be overcome or further developed from a diachronic perspective. The conceptual focus on ecology(ies) and the extended spatio-temporal approach ensure that observations over a long period of investigation can be discussed comparatively and integrated into a holistic, systemic, and dynamic model that corresponds to the complexity of the field of research without being vague. In addition, this approach to historical research builds a bridge to current topics such as sustainability or resource conservation. The network is primarily anchored in art history and integrates other disciplines from this core subject, in particular archaeology, sociology, and geology. Three strands connect the studies of the network members as guiding discourses: specific material occurrences, spaces, or conditions of marble are summarized under the term transformation. The term thus includes various spheres, such as quarries, trade routes, or workshops, but also describes material-aesthetic categories. Secondly, aspects of beholding are subsumed under the term perception. This can include systematizations, be they gender-specific classifications, historically traditional categories ("reception of antiquity"), or other hierarchies ("foreign", "regional", "hard", "white", etc.), which - culturally changeable - influence value discourses and economic demand. Thirdly, facets of the theorization of marble are collected under the concept of epistemology. Here, natural stone becomes a constructive element that contributes to the understanding of our world and its inherent ecological systems. Within this strand, for example, the phenomenon of rock collection and the hierarchization of rock types there will be discussed. The network’s work takes place both in the context of individual projects and during the planned meetings, which are designed to leave as much reflective space as possible in order to promote creative processes. A joint publication documents the results for the public and future research.

• DFG Programme: Scientific Networks
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Anna Frasca-Rath