Transverberations: Iberian Mysticism in a Global Context – Conference Report


transcropThe international conference Transverberations: Iberian Mysticism in a Global Context took place in the SALC Graduate School on 5 and 6 February 2016
, thanks to generous funding from artsmethods@manchester, the Spanish Ministry of Culture, Education and Sport, and the Royal Historical Society. Organised by Mary Farrelly (Spanish Studies) and Maria Montt Strabucchi (Latin American Studies), the conference brought together speakers from both sides of the Atlantic and a wide variety of institutions, backgrounds, and disciplines to explore the impact of Spanish mysticism on global cultures from its nascence into the present day. Keynote speaker Professor Andrew Beresford (Durham University) opened the conference with his fascinating paper From Mysticism to Heresy: The Legacy of the Desert Ascetics in Fourteenth Century Spain. The presentation aptly introduced many themes that were to feature over the following two days in delegate papers covering a diverse range of fields including history, art history, literature, and philosophy. The second keynote speaker, Dr Silvia Evangelisti (University of East Anglia), closed the conference on Saturday evening with a paper on the mysticism of María de Ágreda which emphasised the transnational force of Iberian mysticism.

The event was particularly enriched by the presence of so many new voices in the field. This was made possible by the kind support of the Royal Historical Society, whose generous contribution allowed organisers to waive the registration fee for all graduate students, and to subsidise travel costs for five postgraduate speakers. These researchers not only benefitted immensely from the opportunity to speak with more experienced academics but also themselves helped to signpost new directions in research into Iberian mysticism at a critical moment in the field.

The conference also included a public reading with Espido Freire from her book, Para vos nací: Un mes con Teresa de Jesús at the Instituto Cervantes, Manchester on Friday 5th February. Delegates and members of the public were treated to an extended conversation with the author followed by a viewing of Scivias, an audio-visual artwork by Spanish-German visual artist Monika Rühle based on the music of German mystic, Hildegaard von Bingen. Participants continued their discussion over a ‘sangría de honor’ kindly provided by the Instituto Cervantes.
Conference Calling with Monika Ruhle-editOn Saturday, participants took another break from academia to view Cum dilatasti cor meum, another audio-visual piece by Monika Rühle, inspired by the writings of Teresa of Avila. In addition to the viewing, the graduate school’s new, state of the art conference calling facilities allowed delegates to discuss the piece with the artist at her home in Spain, bringing a uniquely 21st century meaning to the theme of Transverberations!

The conference wrapped up with a dinner at Red Chilli Restaurant on Oxford Road where discussion continued late into the evening. The interdisciplinary nature and friendly atmosphere at the conference was productive for both attendees and organisers, providing a rigorous yet informal arena for the sharing and discussion of ideas, as reflected in attendees’ questionnaire responses. The organisers would like to extend warm thanks to our sponsors, chairs, speakers, and other attendees. For more information and to see more photos and videos of the day, see transverberations.wordpress.com/

Mary Farrelly

Maria Montt Strabucchi