Porcelain and Catholic Enlightenment: The Zwettler Tafelaufsatz

The mastery of a hard-paste porcelain technology in Dresden in 1708 was a major natural philosophical achievement for the European Enlightenment. From the outset, the material possessed a representative function at the Saxon court, where it served to promote the power and cultural prestige of the Wettin dynasty. As porcelain factories were established at courts across Europe, however, the material's signifying role became complex. On the one hand, its alchemical associations aligned it with unfettered princely power in the realm of the absolutist court. On the other, its origins in laboratory investigation could indicate a princely engagement with the Enlightenment pursuit of scientific knowledge. These contradictory associations reached an apogee in the so-called “Catholic Enlightenment,” producing artworks that sought to consolidate the church. This paper analyzes the Zwettler Tafelaufsatz—the great porcelain table centerpiece that was created in 1768 as part of a multimodal baroque celebration of Abbot Rayner Kollmann's jubilee at the Cistercian monastery of Zwettl in Lower Austria. Here the porcelain medium enabled the Cistercian brethren to argue for the continuing role of monasteries and monastic scholarship in eighteenth-century Enlightenment learning, while simultaneously declaring the limits of human learning and the ultimate supremacy of divine revelation in the context of an absolutist world order.

“Save as…”. The role of a computer interface in digital ontology

The article provides the analysis of the computer interface as a digital world phenomenon in correlation with its constitutive and representative function for image production. Several concepts of media theorists and researchers of visual culture of new (i. e. digital) media (M. Hansen, D. Bruno, D. Drucker) are examined in the context of considering intermediary functions of interface between the computer code message and the user. The analysis of the project of art group Share Lab about the interface and algorithms of Facebook for user behavior is being carried out. The representative role of interface in production of the ontological reality of media is considered, which is correlated both with the production of a media event and with such concept of a contemporary world as “post-truth”. The conclusion is offered that the constitutive role of computer interface is manifested both in social practices of digital media users and production of media events with attention to its representative function.

The analysis of best-seller fantasy novel covers in 2019 through multimodal lens

The purpose of this research was to analyze ten covers of 2019 best-seller fantasy novels through multimodal. The research method used was qualitative research. The objects in this research were ten book covers of 2019 best-seller fantasy novels. The instruments used were documentation that aimed at obtaining data, including relevant books, study, activity reporting, relevant research data. Content analysis was used to obtain the data. This study used five phased cycles in analyzing the data; compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding. The result of analyzing the novels is emphasized in two focuses, including representation and interactive function. Several novels have a narrative aspect, while others contain conceptual interpretation, which is part of a representative function. It was very challenging to interpret some implicit meaning of the symbols in some of the novels as it requires mythical knowledge. Therefore, it is expected that understanding the implicit meaning comprehensively will make readers easier to understand the story outline of the novel.

Architectural Elements of a Royal Residence : 15th-century Stone Carvings in Tata Castle

Being an important historical monument and a popular tourist destination, Tata Castle in Komárom-Esztergom County is well-known for many people. The medieval castle rising on the shore of the picturesque Old Lake offers outstanding scenery for its visitors. Although the castle had an important representative role during late medieval times and its archaeological excavation was conducted half a century ago, historians have made few efforts to research the building history and representative function of the castle more thoroughly. In its current state, the castle reveals little of its original 15th century appearance. However, a detailed examination of the remaining walls and stone carvings can help us to better understand the castle’s history.

Ensuring the Representative Function of Regional Parliaments and Representative Bodies of Local Self-Government

Analysis of the representative functions provision by regional parliaments and representative bodies of local selfgovernment at the present stage is presented. The legislation of the subjects of the Russian Federation is analyzed for the consolidation and reflection of the representative function. Opinions are expressed on possible changes in the order of formation and activity of representative bodies at the regional and municipal levels in order to more fully and effectively implement the function of representation.

The parliamentarian’s symbolic capital as a factor of confidence building in the State Duma

Introduction: the article examines formal and informal political and communication practices for their effectiveness in improving the perception of a parliamentary institution. Objectives: to identify the features of symbolic capital formation of a State Duma deputy using political and communicative practices. Methods: comparative analysis, content analysis, sociological regulatory analysis. Results: The article analyzes the political and communication practices used by the State Duma deputies and their impact on building trust inparliament. Informal practices that parliamentarians use while implementing the representative function are highlighted as having the greatest potential in the context of the need to increase trust in the State Duma. Conclusions: trust to a parliamentary institution is a combination of institutional trust (to the State Duma as a body of state power) and transpersonal trust (in deputies). A parliamentarian, to whom the State Duma delegates its symbolic capital, can either increase confidence in the institution by their actions, or lower it due to the communication failures, inability to use modern technologies, the need to follow the political change, etc. It is necessary to develop a set of measures to increase confidence in the parliamentary institution.

Legitimising Religion in Public

The English context for interreligious dialogue is shaped by the presence of an established church which is inclusive, geographically spread, and engages with the state. This article will trace the ways in which the presence of an established church, and the particular model of church-state settlement, provide a context to legitimise particular types of interreligious activity. The social role of religion, the representative function of religion, and religion as an inclusive category, will be highlighted as key elements in the role of religion in English public life and in how interreligious organisations have developed. This observation is analytically useful as it assists an understanding of how and why interreligious dialogue and other activity has at various points become significant for the state’s governance of religious diversity, how success is understood and managed, and what non-engagement with interreligious activity might indicate.