Significance of “Poison” in Contemporary Society

Research Topic
Significance of “Poison” in Contemporary Society

Lead Researcher
Hiroshi Yoshioka, Program-Specific Professor, Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University

 Collaborating Researchers
Miki Okubo, Lecturer, University of Paris 8

Kyoto Ozawa, Associate Professor, Wayo Women’s University

Yukiko Kato, Associate Professor, Saitama University

Using the concept of “Poison” as an important clue, this project will critically examine the realities of simple dichotomic thinking, which is often dominant in our contemporary society, and will explore the knowledge and culture which have both sustainability and creativity.

In addition, the purpose of this project is to investigate the relevant current research trends, focusing on aesthetics, theory of art, art history, media, and studies of culture and representation, placing its research subject in a broader context.

In this project, the traditional ancient Greek concept <Pharmacon>, which included both “medicine” and “poison,” is also noted. There is already a series of art projects that thematizes this concept. In them, what this current project researches will also be generated as an art. Through these efforts, we aim to make our project theme more intuitively understood by many people.

In a broader context, this research project suggests that people would be pluralistic and have a more flexible view of life or perspective of the world, being freed from rigid dichotomic thinking through the experiences of art in art exhibitions.

In the field of humanities, it is expected that the current art and cultural research, which often tends to fall into a vertical regional research, will be cross-linked by sharing the concepts of <Pharmacon>, thus restoring intellectual activation in humanities.

2019/05/22