Presentification

In liberatic works, the metatextual and material devices create an impression of actuality. They attempt to make the reader aware of himself or herself as the reading self, and to suggest the author's “presence.” It is as if this is an attempt to fight back against the absence connoted by writing, which Derrida has pointed out. In other words, such devices may be understood as “presentification,” a term I borrow from Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht to describe a set of strategies intended to produce this effect. Reflecting on contemporary culture, Gumbrecht notes a drive towards experiencing artefacts in a palpable, multisensory way. For example, with regard to history, he points to the desire to simulate or create an experience of historical events, an urge that has recently intensified and that is achieved through:

As Gumbrecht explains, it is an activity that stimulates an affective response. He claims that its value lies precisely in the experiential potential, which facilitates feeling rather than understanding of the past. As he stresses, “presentification” is concerned with experiencing “moments of intensity,” and not necessarily with generating meanings that can be captured in words (hence, the subtitle of his book – “What Meaning Cannot Convey”). Even if meaningful sense is generated, this cannot be grasped in terms of precise, easily verbalised concepts. It is closer to deeply felt impressions, associations, and evocations.

With its emphasis on the affective response, this activity is related to catharsis. However, unlike Aristotle's concept, presentification is not limited to emotions with negative connotations. According to Gumbrecht, the intensity of the aesthetic experience connects with enchantment, rapture, elation, and the sense of being deeply moved. In my view, this may be related to the “immersion,” “absorption,” or “identification” experienced in literary reading. While recognising that these feelings are a facet of the encounter with art works, and constitute an important aspect of the aesthetic experience, Gumbrecht does not simply equate the feelings with the experience.