Digital Commons@RISD Home > Division of Liberal Arts > Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive) > Vol. 23 (2025)
Abstract
Phenomenological investigation into atmospheres as spatial feelings has paid little attention thus far to their multifaceted temporality. Ambiances are not only situated but situational; they have an intermittent existence and modify time perception. Certain moods need time to evolve, and prolonged exposure to them may change their character. The passing of time itself generates atmospheres—ages are stereotypically associated with dominant moods, and seasonal rhythms influence well-being. Moreover, ambiances shape epochs and are socially contagious. While the idea that generations can be assigned a prevailing mood is not new, the terms Zeitgeist and Zeitzeichen have been framed by an idealist philosophy of history. The theory of atmosphere does not necessarily cultivate sensitivity to ambiances as an end in itself, but also discloses structures of power, a critical examination of strategies for staging atmospheres in art, media, and society at large being indispensable for developing atmospheric literacy.