Research Meeting Report by Michael Allman Conrad
arXiv , 2019
Digital Archaeoludology (DAL) is a new field of study involving the analysis and reconstruction o... more Digital Archaeoludology (DAL) is a new field of study involving the analysis and reconstruction of ancient games from incomplete descriptions and archaeological evidence using modern computational techniques. The aim is to provide digital tools and methods to help game historians and other researchers better understand traditional games, their development throughout recorded human history, and their relationship to the development of human culture and mathematical knowledge. This work is being explored in the ERC-funded Digital Ludeme Project. The aim of this inaugural international research meeting on DAL is to gather together leading experts in relevant disciplines-computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational phylogenetics, mathematics, history, archaeology, anthropology, etc.-to discuss the key themes and establish the foundations for this new field of research, so that it may continue beyond the lifetime of its initiating project.
Papers by Michael Allman Conrad
Digital Archæoludology (DAL) is a new field of study involving the analysis and reconstruction of... more Digital Archæoludology (DAL) is a new field of study involving the analysis and reconstruction of ancient games from incomplete descriptions and archaeological evidence using modern computational techniques. The aim is to provide digital tools and methods to help game historians and other researchers better understand traditional games, their development throughout recorded human history, and their relationship to the development of human culture and mathematical knowledge. This work is being explored in the ERC-funded Digital Ludeme Project. The aim of this inaugural international research meeting on DAL is to gather together leading experts in relevant disciplines – computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational phylogenetics, mathematics, history, archaeology, anthropology, etc. – to discuss the key themes and establish the foundations for this new field of research, so that it may continue beyond the lifetime of its initiating project. Seminar 10.–12....
Playful Materialities
What you saw was not always what you got in the days of early gaming. Disappointment was a common... more What you saw was not always what you got in the days of early gaming. Disappointment was a common experience for gamers whenever the flashy depictions of game contents as presented in adverts and the limitations of early computer graphics clashed on screen. One of the most striking examples for this was the infamous debacle of E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982). Frequently deemed the worst game ever made and responsible for Atari's decline and the subsequent video game crisis of 1983, this questionable status has been somewhat vindicated in recent years. 1 The realities of non-intuitive gameplay, glitches, awkward controls, and other badly executed aspects aside, one reason for the game's disputed reputation certainly was the large divide between players' expectations, who had seen Steven Spielberg's blockbuster, and the technological limitations of game consoles that did not allow for a similarly captivating and immersive experience. However, such shortcomings alone do not suffice to explain the commercial failure since all early games were restricted by the same technological limitations, 1 Harris, John: "Review Roundup: Was E.T. Really the 'Worst Game Ever'?" in: Game History Foundation, https://gamehistory.org/et-atari-reviews-worst-game-ever/, collects several reviews from magazines of the time, concluding that E.T. was not considered the worst game of the era, not even of the month of its release, "but with its high licensing cost and failure to perform at the market, it was an easy scapegoat for a console game industry in decline." (Ibid.
Cultural Encounters and Tolerance Through Analyses of Social and Artistic Evidences: From History to the Present , 2022
Inspired by central ideas of Mediterranean studies, the chapter attempts a comparative examinatio... more Inspired by central ideas of Mediterranean studies, the chapter attempts a comparative examination of typical motifs and patterns as identifiable in royal politics aspiring to organize the multiethnic societies of medieval Sicily and Castile. Far from being conceived as a conclusive study, the text is a intended as a first meta-methodological exploration of the possibilities, strengths and limitations, of comparisons between separate Mediterranean cultures within the transcultural framework. At the same time, it gathers historic details under the rubrics of tropes found in historic narratives that suggest comparisons between the situations in Sicily and Castile, in particular during the reigns of Roger II and Alfonso X, who both share astonishingly similar traits, including royal patronage, political pragmatism, the organization of multiculturality through legalism, and the legitimization of royal power through historicistic myths.
Elizabeth Lapina and Vanina Kopp (eds.), Games and Visual Culture in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, Turnhout: Brepols, 2020
“The Playing Eye: The Epistemological Function of Game Miniatures in the Late 13th Century,” in E... more “The Playing Eye: The Epistemological Function of Game Miniatures in the Late 13th Century,” in Elizabeth Lapina and Vanina Kopp (eds.), Games and Visual Culture in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, Turnhout: Brepols (forthcoming in 2020).
Francine Giese (ed.), Mudejarismo and Moorish Revival. Cultural Negotiations and Artistic Translations in the Middle Ages and 19th-century Historicism, Leiden et al.: Brill, 2020
“When Warriors become Teachers: Alfonso X’s Cultural Endeavours and the Crusade Ideology”, in Fra... more “When Warriors become Teachers: Alfonso X’s Cultural Endeavours and the Crusade Ideology”, in Francine Giese (ed.), Mudejarismo and Moorish Revival. Cultural Negotiations and Artistic Translations in the Middle Ages and 19th-century Historicism, Leiden et al.: Brill (forthcoming in 2020).
Francine Giese (ed.), Mudejarismo and Moorish Revival. Cultural Negotiations and Artistic Translations in the Middle Ages and 19th-century Historicism, 2020
“An ‘Ennoblement’ of Jews and Muslims? The Political Instrumentalization of Mudéjar under the Hou... more “An ‘Ennoblement’ of Jews and Muslims? The Political Instrumentalization of Mudéjar under the House of Trastámara 1369-1474,” in Francine Giese (ed.), Mudejarismo and Moorish Revival. Cultural Negotiations and Artistic Translations in the Middle Ages and 19th-century Historicism, Leiden et al.: Brill (forthcoming in 2020).
Mudejarismo and Moorish Revival. Cultural Negotiations and Artistic Translations in the Middle Ages and 19th-century Historicism, 2020
in Francine Giese (ed.), Mudejarismo and Moorish Revival. Cultural Negotiations and Artistic Tran... more in Francine Giese (ed.), Mudejarismo and Moorish Revival. Cultural Negotiations and Artistic Translations in the Middle Ages and 19th-century Historicism, Leiden et al.: Brill (forthcoming in 2020).
Mudejarismo and Moorish Revival. Cultural Negotiations and Artistic Translations in the Middle Ages and 19th-century Historicism, 2020
in Francine Giese (ed.), Mudejarismo and Moorish Revival. Cultural Negotiations and Artistic Tran... more in Francine Giese (ed.), Mudejarismo and Moorish Revival. Cultural Negotiations and Artistic Translations in the Middle Ages and 19th-century Historicism, Leiden et al.: Brill (forthcoming in 2020).
Dialogues in Late Medieval Mediterranean, 2020
“In the Shadow of Toledo and Granada. On the Significance of Murcia for Cultural Exchange and Tra... more “In the Shadow of Toledo and Granada. On the Significance of Murcia for Cultural Exchange and Transmission of Knowledge in the 13th Century,” María Cobaleda (ed.), Dialogues in Late Medieval Mediterranean, London: Palgrave-MacMillian (forthcoming in 2020).
Dimensionen der Moral im Spiel, 2018
Due to copyright issues, the article cannot be uploaded here. The full reference is Michael A. Co... more Due to copyright issues, the article cannot be uploaded here. The full reference is Michael A. Conrad, “Ist das Spiel schuld? Vorüberlegungen zur Verantwortung ludischen Handelns im Mittelalter”, in Christian Klager (ed.), Dimensionen der Moral im Spiel, Göttingen: Cuvillier, 2018, 9-30.
Die Zukunft im Spiel. Wie Spielen unsere Welt verändert, 2019
The full reference is: “Zocken im retrotopischen Zeitalter: eine kurze Kulturgeschichte von Spiel... more The full reference is: “Zocken im retrotopischen Zeitalter: eine kurze Kulturgeschichte von Spiel als Utopie”, in Christian Klager (ed.), Die Zukunft im Spiel. Wie Spielen unsere Welt verändert, Göttingen: Cuvillier, 2019, 21-48.
Pleasure and Leisure in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Age: Cultural-Historical Perspectives on Toys, Games, and Entertainment, 2019
Due to copyright issues, the book chapter cannot be uploaded here. See the link for more informat... more Due to copyright issues, the book chapter cannot be uploaded here. See the link for more information: https://www.degruyter.com/view/product/539054
ICT enabled independent living for elderly. A status-quo analysis on products and the research landscape in the field of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) in EU-27, 2010
Together with Katrin Gaßner; a EU-funded empirical market study on products and services availabl... more Together with Katrin Gaßner; a EU-funded empirical market study on products and services available for elderly people in EU-27 that enable and support them to live within their domestic environments in terms of AAL ("Ambient Assisted Living").
Spiele spielen. Praktiken, Metaphern, Modelle, 2018
Due to copyright issues, this article cannot be on display here. Please see the original publicat... more Due to copyright issues, this article cannot be on display here. Please see the original publication.
https://www.fink.de/view/title/53078
Episteme des Theaters. Aktuelle Kontexte von Wissenschaft, Kunst und Öffentlichkeit, 2016
Lesen, Schreiben, Erzählen. Kommunikative Erzähltechniken im digitalen Zeitalter, 2013
Teaching and Courses by Michael Allman Conrad
Seminar on the history, aesthetics and theory of photographic self-portraits, with a strong epist... more Seminar on the history, aesthetics and theory of photographic self-portraits, with a strong epistemological turn and involving theories of subjectivation (e.g. Bataille and Michel Foucault). At Institute for Theatre Studies, Freie Universität Berlin (catalog no. 7525).
As part of the lecture series “Wissen – Sprache – Kultur. Transfer im Mittelalter," organized by ... more As part of the lecture series “Wissen – Sprache – Kultur. Transfer im Mittelalter," organized by the Kompetenzzentrum “Zürcher Mediävistik”, Fall Semester 2019, University of Zurich
The seminar is about play and games in the Middle Ages. Students will be introduced to current re... more The seminar is about play and games in the Middle Ages. Students will be introduced to current research foci, theories and methods, including concepts taken from cultural history and games studies. With Dr. Christine Stridde
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Research Meeting Report by Michael Allman Conrad
Papers by Michael Allman Conrad
https://www.fink.de/view/title/53078
Teaching and Courses by Michael Allman Conrad
https://www.fink.de/view/title/53078
A book review of: Funk, Wolfgang; Krämer, Lucia (Hg.): Fiktionen von Wirklichkeit. Authentizität zwischen Materialität und Konstruktion. Bielefeld: trancript, 2011.
Book review of: Lazardzig, Jan; Tkaczyk, Viktoria; Warstat, Mathias: Theaterhistoriografie. Eine Einführung. Tübingen: A. Francke, 2012 (UTB).
Kolloquium
Spiele waren auch im Mittelalter fester Bestandteil des Lebens. Eine Sammlung sämtlicher seinerzeit beliebten Brett- und Würfelspiele zeigt das berühmte Spielebuch Libro de acedrex, dados e tablas, das vom kastilischen König Alfons X. in Auftrag gegeben und kurz vor dessen Tod, ca. 1283, fertiggestellt wurde. Außer Spielanleitungen enthält es eine Vielzahl farbenprächtiger Illuminationen, die zu den herausragendsten Exponaten gotischer Buchmalerei zählen.
Die Miniaturen geben nicht nur einen einzigartigen Einblick in die Spiel- und Alltagskultur der Zeit, sie sind auch deswegen spannend, weil sie ohne den Umweg über Sprache zeigen, wie gespielt werden soll. Das Bild ist hier vor allem Medium der Kommunikation, in dem gezielt eine Reihe visueller Strategien zur Wissensvermittlung eingesetzt werden. Es wird gewissermaßen schon im Sehen gespielt.
Ein Gespräch über mittelalterliche Bildkultur, visuelle Kommunikation und die imaginativen Verbindungen von Hand und Bild im Sehen.
In der Reihe: Wunderblock No. 26, Salon für Kunst & Visuelle Kultur
El ojo lúdico. Sobre estrategias visuales en el libro de juegos de Alfonso X
Coloquio
En la Edad Media, los juegos formaban parte de la vida cotidiana. El famoso libro de juegos Libro de acedrex, dados e tablas reúne todos los juegos populares de tabla y dados de aquella época. Alfonso X, el Rey de Castilla, había encargado este libro que se terminó poco antes de su muerte, en 1283. Aparte de instrucciones sobre cómo jugar, contiene una gran cantidad de iluminaciones de vivos colores que están consideradas como los ejemplos más destacados de miniatura gótica.
Las miniaturas no solamente muestran de manera única la cultura lúdica y cotidiana de la época, sino también impresionan porque dan instrucciones de cómo jugar sin tener que hacer uso de la lengua. La imagen como medio de comunicación que utiliza de manera calculada una serie de estrategias visuales para la transmisión de conocimiento. En cierto sentido, viéndolo ya empieza el juego.
Una charla sobre la cultura de imagen en la Edad Media, sobre comunicación visual y las relaciones imaginativas ente mano e imagen mientras se mira.
Dentro del ciclo de coloquios: Wunderblock No. 26, Salon für Kunst & Visuelle Kultur
The magnificently illuminated Book of Games commissioned by King Alfons X (1252–1284) is one of the most fascinating medieval manuscripts. Taking the book as a starting point, this volume reflects on how games were viewed by Alfons and other contemporary authors as a practice that allowed them to come to terms with contingency and as a model of good decision-making, in particular in the fields of strategy, economics, ethics, and metaphysics.
Ludische Praxis und Kontingenzbewältigung im Spielebuch Alfonsʼ X. und anderen Quellen des 13. Jahrhunderts
Spiel als Modell guten Entscheidens
Seit Entwicklung der mathematischen Spieltheorie des 20. Jahrhunderts scheint es ein Gemeinplatz, dass strategische Entscheidungen sich durch Spielmodelle simulieren lassen. Zu zeigen, dass aber schon viel früher ein Zusammenhang zwischen Spiel und guter Entscheidung gesehen und auch lebensweltlich fruchtbar gemacht wurde, ist das Anliegen dieser Monografie. Sie zeichnet nach, wie Spiel in der zweiten Hälfte des 13. Jahrhunderts als eine Praxis der Kontingenzbewältigung sowie als Entscheidungskunst verstanden wurde, insbesondere in Bezug auf die Handlungsfelder von Strategie, Ökonomie, Ethik und Metaphysik. Als Hauptquelle der Untersuchung dient dabei das Spielebuch König Alfons‘ X. von Kastilien und León, der Libro de acedrex dados e tablas (1284), welcher einen einzigartigen Einblick in mittelalterliche Spielkultur erlaubt. Durch vielfältige Kontextualisierungen mit weiteren zeitgenössischen Quellen entfaltet sich ein kulturhistorisches Panorama, durch das eine Haltung spürbar wird, die sich als Spielvertrauen bezeichnen ließe – eine Haltung, die Spiel als lebenswichtige Ressource der praktischen Vernunft zur Bestärkung und Bestätigung individueller Klugheit im Umgang mit kontingenten Ereignissen begreift.