ARCS: Asian Representations and Constructions of Space

This workshop provides an opportunity for scholars to examine historical and modern Chinese, Himalayan, Indian, and Japanese representations and constructions of real-and-imagined space in the form of paintings, sculptures, maps, and manuscripts depicting a broad scope of spatial territory, ranging from temples and pilgrimage routes, trade and exchange networks, local regions, the wider inhabited world, and the entire cosmos. Drawing on materials ranging from the fifth to twentieth centuries and representing cartographic, religious, and visual cultures, scholars from various departments and disciplines will engage in interdisciplinary conversations with local and visiting speakers, jointly exploring the unifying theme of spatial representation and construction across Asian cultures. Workshop meetings are hosted by the David Rumsey Map Center at Stanford, giving the workshop access to rare maps and cutting edge digital cartographic technologies.