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Cognitive Futures
in The Arts and Humanities

Cognitive Tools in Action

Messina (Italy) 2025 – 28-30 May 2025


The conference "Cognitive Tools in Action" aims to explore the diverse ways in which cognition is both shaped by tools and manifests itself as a dynamic interplay of strategies and embodied actions.

The term “cognitive tools” encompasses both external instruments (e.g., artworks, technologies, artifacts, and media) that modulate cognitive processes, and internal strategies (e.g., metaphor) employed in cognitive processing. By emphasizing “in action”, we seek to foreground the deeply embodied, sensorimotor, and interactive nature of cognition.

This conference invites scholars from a range of disciplines (including but not limited to anthropology, arts, literature, neuroscience, performance studies, philosophy, psychology), to reflect on the reciprocal relationship between cognitive tools and the environments, bodies, and contexts in which they operate.

Organizers

  • Valentina Cuccio
    philosopher
    University of Messina
  • Francesco Parisi
    mediologist
    University of Messina

Themes and Topics

We welcome contributions that engage with the following themes, among others:
  1. The 4E Cognition framework
  2. Arts and Literature as Symbolic Tools for Cognition
  3. Performative Arts, Cognition, and the Body
  4. Beyond Human Cognition: Prosthetics, AI, Biohacking
  5. The Ethics of Cognitive Tools
  6. Embodiment and Multimodality in Linguistic Cognition
  7. Metaphorical Cognition
  8. Paleocognition and Paleoaesthetics
  9. Environment and Technology
  10. Psychedelics as Cognitive and Epistemic Tools
  11. Music and cognition
  12. Visual studies and cognition

Instructions for abstract submission

Please send your proposal via the form at the following link: cognitive-futures.com. The abstracts must not exceed 500 words. Each Speaker will have 20 minutes time for the talk, followed by 10 minutes discussion.

Extended Deadline for abstract submission: 13 April 2025

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Giovanna Colombetti

Marianna Bolognesi

Alma Mater Università di Bologna
Prof. Vittorio Gallese

Anna Ciaunica

Universidade de Lisboa
Prof. Elena Cuffari

Elena Cuffari

Franklin and Marshall College
Karin Kukkonen ©niversity of Oslo.

Lambros Malafouris

University of Oxford

Erik Myin

University of Antwerp
Gerard Steen

Gerard Steen

University of Amsterdam

Invited Symposium

Prof. Vittorio Gallese

Vittorio Gallese

Università di Parma
Michele Cometa

Michele Cometa

Università di Palermo
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