The twelfth edition of the SusCon took place this year September 18 to 20 in Tirrenia, Pisa, convenient location for a long time.Again, the investment was good, with 45 suspensions made during the conference and a pulling between 6 people. Highly positive note, 30% of suspendees were newbies, a sign that the culture of the practice of corporal suspension is expanding, not least among young people.
Besides Italians, include participants from Germany, Spain, Norway and New Zealand; the suspension groups that have made possible the whole event are APTPI-ST and Wings of Desire (Norway), whose leader, Havve Fjell, officially presented the 3rd Symposium on corporal suspension that will be held in Berlin in May 2017.
As usual, during the 3 days of the conference, also held the theoretical lessons: we have had the honor to host this edition Paul King, body professional piercer since 1991 and awarded the title of Master Piercer by Jim Ward in 1996. Active member of the APP, also avid student of ethnoanthropology and anthropology of the body changes and on these topics has lectured at various universities.
We proposed: Traditions of Hook Swinging in South Asia, Suspension of Believe and Piercing Rituals of Plains … Sundance; the subjects were very interesting and appreciated, and have highlighted other points of view on the practice of the suspension, especially with regard to the ritual purpose.
Another novelty, some participants carried out a project with a social and anthropological, led by the anthropologist Federica Manfredi, which researches the reasons, but also the feelings, involved in who is suspended. After contacting some people, she has established a delivery: look through a work of art, to represent what, or how the consciousness draw up the act of suspending. They were thus produced 12 projects, all different and all unique and personal in cutting and construction, which has very intensely involved subjects.
Right to thank all participants in the SusCon, speakers and sponsors, but especially all the volunteers that make this a reality each year.
See and hear a lot of passion and dedication to a seemingly uncharacteristic bad practice and accepted by the community, it rewards all the effort and helps to make this event so emotionally engaging human and cultural point of view.
We wait for the next edition, with more surprises!
APTPI-ST staff