The theme invites analysis of how the presence, or notable absence, of body is implied, reflected, or symbolically evoked in artistic media.

Certain artifacts and spaces reflect a “trace” of the human body through wear, use, or symbolism. We encourage you to explore questions like how cultural memory, trauma, and history are expressed through bodily absence, or how prehistoric handprints on cave walls, marks on ancient tools, or worn stone steps in historical sites reveal bodies that once existed there. This could extend to digital art forms, where bodies are represented and then erased, calling into question what it means to have a “body” in digital spaces. You might wonder how architectural theory interprets the body itself as a “structure” or “space”. How do marginalized or underrepresented bodies make their presence known in art, or contemporary media?