UNTER UNS von Geistern, Dschinns und Monstern

Fabian Bernhardt in conversation with Penny Yiou Peng (the talk will be held in English)

Spirits and demons enjoy maximal freedom of movement. They do not need residence permits; they are not stopped by passport controls. The barrier that prevents a ghost from crossing the borders between different countries – or times – has yet to be built. In the realm of the supernatural, globalization is the norm. So it seems worthwhile to take a closer look at all those beings that have travelled wide and come to us from other traditions. Like the Yōkai. The word is a catch-all term for all kinds of creatures and figures who have their origins in Chinese and Japanese mythology. They are often translated as “demons” or “supernatural spirits“, but that does not capture the essence. So let us call them by their proper name: Yōkai. And let’s try to get to know them a little better. Because like jinn, monsters and zombies, the Yōkai have been among us for a long time. In video games, mangas, animes and horror flicks. Anyone who remembers the No-Face from Chihiro’s Journey to the Magic Land or the scurrying soot sprites has already encountered creatures that are deeply rooted in the yōkai cosmos. Cute or terrifying, they are fluid in their form and endowed with special powers building a republic, in which the natural and the supernatural come together in ways that invites us to fundamentally rethink this distinction.

This series of talks is supported by the Collaborative Research Centre “Affective Societies“ (Freie Universität Berlin).

Dr. Fabian Bernhardt is a philosopher and freelance author.

Penny Yiou Peng is a theatre scholar and performance artist.