Perception Against

Abstract

The paper seeks to contribute to critical reflection on recent trends in cultural anthropology, the humanities more generally, and ongoing transformations of urban space. The first part of the paper explores the genealogy of two crucial anthropological approaches to “the life of the senses,” anthropology of the senses, and sensory anthropology, outlines their relationship to so-called walking methodologies, and relates them to the recent upsurge of research in atmospheres. The second part presents selected topics from the described fields in Ljubljana. More specifically, the paper deals with how, during sensobiographic walking through the historical city center, Ljubljančani and Ljubljančanke experienced what “atmospheric transformations” ushered in by Ljubljana’s annual December celebrations/festivities. The authors conclude that concepts and epistemological frameworks produced or implicated in the anthropology of the senses/sensory anthropology, as well as in walking methodologies and atmospheric studies, engender an examination of sensory dimensions of politics and economy in late capitalism but are appropriated in a reified form for purposes of capital accumulation.