Renata Gambino
Italy
renatagambino@gmail.com
MC Member – WG3
Position Paper
In 2009, at the University of Catania, my colleague o. Prof. Grazia Pulvirenti and I have created an international multidisciplinary research-platform (www.neurohumanitiestudies.eu) with a prestigious Board of Directors, in order to share knowledge and to develop transdisciplinary projects. Collaborating with other research institutes (like the Italian National Centre of Research – CNR) and no-profit Association “Ingresso Libero” (focused on learning through arts), our research group is working on the “imagination spectrum” in visual art, literature and performative arts, both in theoretical and pragmatic way. In order to enhance this transdisciplinary research aim, the University of Catania has restored and reopened an old theatre, now property of the University, Teatro Machiavelli, where the NeuroHumanitieStudies research group has developed many laboratory works (http://www.neurohumanitiestudies.eu/the-lab/machiavelli-theatre/). Focus of our research is the imaginative process elicited by particular forms of artistic experiences. As far as imagination is concerned, we believe that any form of mental imagery is based on the kinesthesis of the living body: imagination is physiologically based. One of the projects included in the programme of the research group is dedicated to examining the imaginative processes triggered by reading, particularly by reading literary texts. Therefore I’m very interested in WG 3 Experiential and emotional aspects of reading. In fact, a specific section of our work on imagination will be dedicated to analysing and testing the difference in the emotive response by reading printed or digital texts. The research will be conducted together with some researchers from the Italian CNR Institute and some experiments will involve students and actors of the ArtLab at the Machiavelli Theatre in Catania. On the other hand, working as active member of the scientific board of ArtLab (the University’s Laboratory dedicated to developing strategies of “learning through arts”) implies a specific interest for the WG2: Developmental aspects of reading. We are particularly interested in testing the possible improvement of language and metaphorical skills by reading literary texts both in printed and digital version.