Description:

Political affects and histories of craft practice in precolonial highland Madagascar

 How might we access the affective work of politics in times and places where few historical texts exist? Outside of the narrow confines of contemporary politics, the crafting of politics has always taken place – at least in part - through and alongside the work of craft. Foregrounding the feelings associated with this craftwork offers a means to approach past affective configurations, and to trace how participation in these feelings can sustain or challenge particular political formations and actions. In this presentation I look at ceramic traditions in highland Madagascar and consider how they were keyed to different political moments and feelings.