“On Women Skilled in Magic”, woodcut from Olaus Magnus’ monumental work Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus (…) [The History of Northern Tribes and Their Various Locations (…)], book 3, chapter 15 (published in Rome, 1555). Retrieved from Lars Henriksson’s clipart collection and licensed under Wikimedia Commons.


We are happy to announce the final program for the 2n Symposium on Spiritual Technologies – Ethnobotany within Witch Trials and the Capitalization of Health on 8th of April 2021. This year the event is organized in collaboration with Kunsthall Trondheim, Norway.

“2nd Symposium on Spiritual Technologies” will explore the history of witchcraft in Norway and Europe and the capitalization of health in the Middle Ages as well as its repercussions today. Joining the voices of artists, anthropologists, historians, herbalists, and researchers from related fields, the symposium offers talks, panels, a Witch Trial walk in the local area, ritualistic performances, and participatory performances and workshops in ethnobotanist and animistic practices.

The events raise questions such as: How can we approach nature as an intrinsically living archive and bearer of memory? Can we reimagine contemporary pharmacopeia, or the knowledge of medicinal drugs, to include learning from plants and folk medicines during today’s social health crises? What modes of convergence between new technologies, ceremonial spaces and ritualistic re-enactment, can we envision together?

The symposium is curated by Invisibledrum Art Platform, an artistic research collective investigating holistic practices and spiritual technologies within the field of arts and new ecologies, founded by Amalia Fonfara and Nazaré Soares. The theme emerges from the research of the Invisibledrum’s current initiative, The Witch Trial Project, and is closely aligned with Diana Policarpo’s exhibition, Nets of Hyphae, at Kunsthall Trondheim.

The symposium is organized with Invisibledrum Art Platform in collaboration with Kunsthall Trondheim and the Norwegian Historical Association (HIFO).

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The events will take place at Kunsthall Trondheim with remote digital interventions and will be live-streamed. All events are free of charge but require advance booking.

Main Event & Tickets for all programs are via Kunsthall Trondheim https://www.facebook.com/events/521905229206776/https://kunsthalltrondheim.no/en/arrangementer

Final Program: