PhD defence Paul Roncken Wageningen University

On March 14, Paul Roncken of Wageningen University will defend his PhD thesis ‘Shades of Sublime, a design for landscape experiences
 as an instrument in the making of meaning’.

Historically, the idea of the sublime is often associated with grand and astounding natural scenery. This thesis investigates a twenty-first century idea of the sublime that includes dissonant phenomena such as extreme weather conditions due to climate change. The subject of the sublime is symbolic of how unprepared the general audience is for dealing with the inherent disorders that arise when confronted with ‘negative’ aesthetic engagement. Landscape design, however, can mediate this experience to facilitate a creative act of imagination and identification with contemporary sublime phenomena. This in turn provides an opportunity to speculate on a future landscape architectural repertoire.

Roncken will start with present his thesis to the adience after which the defence will take place. All welcome.

Date & time: Wednesday March 14th 2018, 16:00h

Venue: Aula Wageningen University, Wageningen The Netherlands.