Monday Online Presentation Session 1

Asian Studies/Cultural Studies

Session Chair: Alexandre Avdulov

11:35-12:00

67015 | Moon Through the Gate: Reflecting on Time/Space in Japanese Aesthetics

Alexandre Avdulov, Saint Mary's University, Canada

Aesthetics and the sense of beauty in Japan occupy a special place and are at the foundation of the Japanese national identity. In Japanese culture, every aspect of daily life can become an aesthetic experience. Objects and rituals have to be both beautiful and functional at the same time. This duet of beauty and functionality is illuminated by the constellation of a number of aesthetic concepts. Concept of MA which is often translated as “space between”, “mindful pause”, or as a “negative space” could also be understood as “active silence” or “presence of absence”. From architecture to literature, painting, calligraphy and culinary arts, MA is ever-present in performing arts, martial arts, and all “meditation in motion” practices. Japanese character for MA is part of such words as world, humankind, space, time, moment, circle of friends and many others. This paper will focus on MA in Chanoyu, commonly known as the Japanese tea ceremony, in particular, its applications to the contemplative pedagogy, the ways of teaching and learning of this discipline. The research is based on my students’ diaries, which is one of the components of the “Japanese Aesthetics” course taught in a Canadian university. Though Japanese aesthetic concepts are deeply rooted in the country’s cultural fabric, it doesn’t mean that they cannot appeal to the tastes of non-Japanese. Moreover, I argue that they can be successfully applied as a methodology in various disciplines, pedagogy in particular.

12:00-12:25

70777

| Window Balusters of the Khmer Architecture

Shinya Okazaki, Nippon Institute of Technology, Japan

Shinichi Nishimoto, Nippon Institute of Technology, Japan

It is a commonly held notion that the balusters in the windows of Khmer buildings were initially secured with window sills, head jamb square holes, and square tenons at both ends. With the passage of time, the shape of the tenons transformed and became circular, and they eventually ceased to be used on balusters, with an abbreviated building construction method appearing whereby balusters were inserted after the window frames were put together. However, there is no case study scholarship that has concretely examined this development in detail. Even in the article on windows published by P. Pichard in 2001 in the journal Aséanie, there remain many unclear points. In this presentation, I will first discuss changes in the form of baluster tenons, based on photographs of balusters at various ruins in the Angkor area. I will then touch upon the notable North Khleang baluster with its large stone dowels, and discuss issues in the architectural method that come to mind. Finally, I will discuss the overall rise and fall of various construction methods in Khmer architectural history.

12:25-12:50

70751 |

Tracing the Evolution of Malaysian Architecture Through Architecture Biennales

Liyana Hasnan, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

Nurdiyana Zainal Abidin, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

Noor Hashimah Hashim Lim, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

Linda Shafarina Hassan, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

The architecture industry in Malaysia has undergone significant changes over the past few decades, reflecting the larger shifts that have taken place in architectural movements across the globe. Architecture biennales are platforms for the architectural community to showcase their work and idea, engage in dialogues and debates, and reflect on the changes occurring in architectural discourses. The paper argues that by looking into the context of biennales, one can identify shifts in architectural movements, which vary from a greater emphasis on sustainability, sensitivity to cultural context or anticipation of new technologies. In addition to literature reviews and observation studies, the paper explores these architectural shifts by examining the work of architecture firms in Malaysia and how they compare to themes of international architectural biennales. This approach provides insight into how architects and designers in Malaysia are engaging with the larger shifts in architectural discourse. Furthermore, it highlights the unique approaches and perspectives that Malaysian architects bring to the global architectural scene, expressing ways to preserve cultural identity while embracing innovation and sustainability.

12:50-13:15

70713

| A Study on the Dragon King Belief, Ritual Activities and Public Spaces of Yangjia Village in Gaochun District, Nanjing, China

Shuyong Chao, Nanjing University, China

Yangjia Village in Gaochun District is famous for its unique Dragon King belief, and the Xing Long activity has been a grand event in local area for about 500 years. This activity can integrate economy, consanguinity and culture factors in this village, and profoundly affected social structure and physical space of this Village. Many researches have been conducted to explore similar phenomena in other places. For example, through the setting of temples, residents in Foshan can maintain their hierarchical communities in a reasonable size (Lin, 2009). Another study shows the influence of Li-jia institution on folk believes and the development of residential area in Quanzhou (Chen, 2013). These researches gave us a paradigm by analyzing the relevance among folk believes, ritual activities and public spaces. However, there is little researches notice that this connection can be dynamic and multifarious. Secondly, due to rapid changes of settlements in recent decades, studies of this field must show the understanding of historical social and physical context. This article tries to explain how the watery environment affect folk belief and ritual activity in Yangjia Village at different historical periods. Based on field works, this study describes the details of both daily and festival ritual activities, and shows how these events happen in public spaces. Finally, this study analyzes the relevance between ritual activities and historical physical spaces, and put forwards that residents take the “reappearance of historical spatial” as an intangible spatial strategy to express their understanding of social structures in the public space.