37. Embodied Practices for Decolonisation: Research, Education, and Display

While decolonisation is today a central focus across academic disciplines, many discourses adopt methodologies which have long relied on strict classification of experiences. This process enforces epistemic injustice (Fricker 2007), actively discriminating against communities by maintaining epistemic hierarchies in mainstream scholarship. Instead, reflecting a process increasingly common in art and activism but still under-utilised in academia – itself still rigidly encased in inherited Cartesian and Linnaean models – this session looks to explore the ways in which embodied practice can dismantle asymmetric power in art history and museum research, education, and practices of display.

Within this discussion, we define ‘embodied practice’ as practices connecting mind and body, which centre experiences and sensation to develop knowledge. Accordingly, we understand decolonisation broadly and intersectionally: not only referring to former colonies but to all communities historically relegated to the margins of knowledge construction, including due to gender, race, and ability. Originating from approaches spanning across decolonial and disability studies, this session is indebted to foundational concepts like the ‘Sensescape’ (Classen and Howes 2006), and more recent scholarship like ‘Knowing as Moving’ (Foster 2025).

We are particularly interested in papers which incorporate multisensory engagements; which consider modalities other than sight; or that reconsider the visual in a new way. We also invite papers that use embodied practice in practical ways to challenge established dominant epistemic paradigms of power.

Themes: decolonisation, embodied practice, research practices

Additional format comment: The panel will follow a standard format, featuring four 20-minute papers, allowing 5 minutes each for Q&A; traditional papers are welcome, but we also encourage creative presentations.

Lead Convenor: Alexandra Flagg, University of St Andrews, United Kingdom

Co-convenors: Renato Trotta, University of St Andrews, United Kingdom

To submit a Paper to this Session, please follow the guidance on our website and complete the AAH 2027 Call for Papers Proposal Submission Form.