Einfuhlung and Abstraction in the Moving Image: Historical and Contemporary Reflections

Despite the fact that "empathy" is often simply used as a translation of Einfuhlung, the two terms have distinct meanings and distinct disciplinary affiliations. This text considers the manner in which the moving image (whether within a film, video, or art installation) invites spatial forms of engagement akin to those described both by historical accounts of Einfuhlung, a form of engagement that pertains not only to the activities of humans represented within images, but also to the aesthetic qualities of images in a more abstract sense and to the forms to be found there.