Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the politics of vision and visibility in state-socialist and post-1989 Prague, employing the perspective of 'affective relatedness' and defining emotions as embodied processes and practices that occur within wider affective environments.

Paper long abstract:

Drawing on theories of affect and emotion, this paper explores the politics of vision and visibility in state-socialist and post-1989 Prague. The analysis employs the concept of 'affective relatedness', criticizing person-centric theories of emotion and agency and defining emotions as embodied processes and practices that occur within wider affective environments. The paper discusses a three-hour walking interview in October 2019 with a Czech sculptor, when I asked him for his response to eight monuments that had been unveiled between 1878 and 1984, and his personal experiences at the different locations. His emotional reactions highlight the ideological significance of material-focussed policies of in/visibility, and emphasise the complex affective dynamics between human and non-human interactants, especially when examined over longer periods.