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Studying Multi‐Modal Religions: Migration and Mediation in the Cult of María Lionza (Venezuela, Barcelona, Internet)
Author(s) -
Canals Roger
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
visual anthropology review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.346
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1548-7458
pISSN - 1058-7187
DOI - 10.1111/var.12169
Subject(s) - cult , mediation , the internet , representation (politics) , sociology , exhibition , modal , history , art , political science , visual arts , social science , computer science , law , world wide web , ancient history , chemistry , politics , polymer chemistry
This article discusses the origin, development, and distribution of the multi‐modal project Afro‐Venezuelan Rituals in Barcelona: A Comparative Study of Religious Nomadism through Film . This project focuses on the study of the migratory process of the cult of María Lionza between Venezuela and Barcelona, alongside the analysis of the presence of this religious practice on the Internet. In this article, I propose to define this cult as a “multi‐modal religion.” This term refers to the fact that its followers (and spirits) are increasingly using different kinds of media to relate to each other. To analyze this cult, I call for a more in‐depth exploration of the critical combination of different methods of research and modes of representation in anthropology (articles, films, websites, exhibitions). I also argue that one of the main interests of this multi‐modal approach lies in its potential to account for the plurality of agents that intervene in the development of religious cults.