Konferenciafelhívás: Hello Tempus! | Reich 90

RHYTHMIC AMBIGUITY AND NON-LINEAR TIME STRUCTURES
Interdisciplinary Colloquium with Professor Simha Arom Budapest, November 2 – Pesti Vigadó

In the framework of the Hello TEMPUS-Reich 90 event, a special conference-concert within the global 2026 Reich series, we are organizing an interdisciplinary colloquium as a core scientific discourse. This will be a focused, seminar-style dialogue held in Budapest on November 2, 2026. The colloquium serves as the central scientific component of the event, taking place in the historic Pesti Vigadó before an audience of 120 people. Reserved, personalized seating will be provided for all colloquium participants. The colloquium is built around the keynote lecture by Professor Simha Arom, the world-renowned ethnomusicologist, titled „Steve Reich and African Music – Rhythmic Ambiguity as a Constitutive Principle.” The lecture focuses on Steve Reich’s phase-shifting technique and its relationship to African music aesthetics, as well as its connection to time perception, which principally differs from Western European traditions. Following the keynote and short presentations by scholars of deconstruction, anthropology of art, and speech-processing, participants will share their insights on the main topic from the perspective of their respective disciplines in 3–10 minute contributions. Contributions may be published in a special interdisciplinary issue following the event.

MAIN TOPICS:

• Non-linear temporal structures in 20th-century and contemporary arts
• African rhythmic aesthetics: implicit pulse, metronome sense, time-line patterns, polyrhythmic structures, interlocking, inherent rhythm, call-and-response, motoric accent & bodily movement, rhythm-driven texture, buzzing timbres, participatory aesthetics
• Contemporary readings of the Eliadean illud tempus and ritual temporality
• Derrida’s „trace,” différance, and the deconstruction of temporal presence
• Phase shifting as a temporal-technical procedure
• Rhythmic ambiguity: cognitive and perceptual effects (predictive coding, entrainment, temporal deviation)
• Bio-inspired technological approaches
• Speech rhythm and musical rhythm: prosodic parallels and differences
• Speech processing and neural networks: modeling patterns of rhythm and prosody
• Rhythm perception and temporality in interdisciplinary perspective

WE WELCOME PERSPECTIVES FROM:

• Philosophy (phenomenology, deconstruction, philosophy of time)
• Musicology and ethnomusicology
• Neuroscience and cognitive science (temporal processing, predictive coding, enantiomeral)
• Computer science (bio-inspired approaches)
• Speech processing and psycholinguistics (prosody, rhythm in language)
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning (rhythmic analysis)
• African indigenous epistemologies (cutting-edge theoretical frameworks on temporal structures and decentralized network thinking)
• Engineering and technology studies (signal processing, time-based media)
• Literary studies (narratology, temporal structures in text)
• Astrobiology (elevational and biological foundations of rhythm)
• Anthropology of art / social anthropology (ritual, performance, cross-cultural temporalities)
• Dance and movement studies (kinesthetic rhythm, choreographic time, the relationship between music and dance)
• Media theory (time-based media, issues of technological mediation of time)
• And any other discipline concerned with time, rhythm, and perception

WHO IS THIS FOR?

We invite scholars, researchers, and artists from all disciplines whose work intersects with questions of rhythmic perception, temporal structures, and non-linearity. The colloquium will convene a limited number of participants: established scholars, researchers, and younger academics who are passionate about their fields and eager to engage in the dialogue. Admission is free, with participation limited to ensure a focused, high-level exchange.

PARTICIPATION

We cordially invite our highly qualified academic colleagues and professors to indicate their intention to participate—which we would consider a great honor—by filling out this short form by August 15. This time, you do not need to submit an abstract with your application. We will notify you of the selection results by August 30.

VENUE & DATE
Pesti Vigadó, Budapest, Hungary | November 2, 2026

ORGANIZED BY
HAA RIATM, Anna Mária Bólya, on behalf of the Hello TEMPUS-Reich 90 event series

CONTACT
[bolya.anna.maria@mma-mmki.hu]
You may share this scientific opportunity with your colleagues until August 15.