Most theoretical models of intermediality are inherently epistemological: media studies, including intermedial studies, basically investigates, criticizes and historicizes all the different ways of perceiving the world by way of different apparatus or communicative entities which may be more or less technical, advanced and complex.

However, in recent decades a new set of questions has occurred, approaching the world not only epistemologically but also ontologically: such questions are often subsumed under the heading of New Materialism(s): ontological ideas relating to process philosophy and studies of emergent qualities have become more and more prominent in Media- as well as Literary – and Gender Studies. Such an ontological frame is of special relevance to Comparative Literature, where it raises important questions on the nature, practice, and relevance of comparison, and indeed of the notion of literature itself.

As the integration of such non-substantialist approaches within intermedial studies and comparative literature is still in its early stages, these theoretical-methodological relations deserve closer academic attention. The general aim of this panel is therefore to investigate in depth the possible relations between intermedial studies and new materialist methodologies.

Kalaf Epalanga is a contemporary writer, musician and poet, an African emigrant who settled in Europe during his youth for better education, and as a result of the civil war in Angola. Over the last decades, he experienced the cultural reality of Lisbon and Berlin. Like a 21st century flâneur, Epalanga and his music are present in the center and on the outskirts of Lisbon. The Portuguese press see him as a “cultural agitator”, who demonstrates on behalf of African culture or, in a broader sense, on behalf of black cultures around the world. The present study has as object Epalanga’s novel Whites can dance too (Também os brancos sabem dançar), which could be seen as a “musical novel”, based on the concept of “melophrasis” developed by Rodney Edgecombe (1993) and Therese Vilmar (2020) in response to the idea of “musicalized fiction” by Werner Wolf (1999). In the novel, Epalanga creates a thought-provoking narrative, woven together with the history of African music, including genres like Kuduro and Kizomba, and exploring its complex interactions with canonical genres such as Fado and Rap. Additionally, the author guides the reader through the complex feelings and subjectivity of the characters, providing an experience of their diverse emotions through metamusic. Epalanga thus constructs a unique musical land (a safe space) through words. It is important to note that these music-centered or music-based narratives are intertwined with ancient colonial memories, as well as contemporary narratives that highlight the suffering of the African diaspora on the European continent. In this musical land of the novel, the three main characters are on very different life trajectories, but they all cross paths at some point because of music and, at the end of the story, each of them finds in music a kind of redemption or sanctuary of their own. This narrative conception results in a remarkable contrast between darkness and luminosity, which evokes the clashes in the social arrangement of white and black voices (Achile Mbembe, 2003; Michel Foucault, 1997), and the proposition of a world-space that houses “non-hegemonic” voices. This contrast between darkness and light inspired me to explore the idea of literary music as a “safe space”. What I propose to discuss in this study is not music in its strict and concrete sense, but rather music as a possible verbal and aesthetic experience for the literary reader, for the reader of Os brancos também podem dançar, in short, a music that “can be read”. What is the “song” really about? How can this “musical romance” inspire new perspectives on issues of ethnicity today? How do the rhythm of ideas, frustrations and hopes intertwine with the mixed beat of rap, kuduro and fado? In seeking these answers, I also seek a new path of reflection on the construction of ethnic identities and the forms of existence and resistance of marginalized groups in today’s world.

Chinese academies emerged in the Tang Dynasty, and their functions gradually evolved from book repair and collection to reading and learning. Their service targets ranged from individuals to the general public, and they could cultivate talents and spread culture. The civilization of Bashu Academies not only benefited from the exchange and mutual learning between ancient BaShu culture and other cultures, but also from the "Southern Silk Road" that has lasted for thousands of years and crossed centuries. As a trade and cultural inheritance road, it inherits not only a culture, but also a spiritual force. The Academies culture in the Bashu Academies has shaped the urban character of "openness, innovation and creativity" and the humanistic characteristics of "broad mindedness and friendliness". Communication can make civilization colorful, mutual learning can enrich civilization, and communication and mutual learning can make civilization full of vitality and creativity. Exchange and mutual learning help promote the integration of civilizations from all over the world, and forge a magnificent force for the development and progress of human society. This points out the direction for promoting the development of world civilization and provides a good strategy for resolving conflicts between civilizations. Civilizations communicate through diversity, learn from each other through communication, and develop through mutual learning. The exchange and mutual learning among different countries, ethnic groups, and cultures in the world can enhance the humanistic foundation of a community with a shared future for mankind, spread and exchange each other's cultures, and promote the mutual learning of civilizations.

The academies in the Bashu Academies can become a distinctive medium for cultural dissemination, relying on new academies and utilizing forms such as new media and intelligent media to tell the "Chinese story" well, promoting the true transformation of Chinese civilization from "going out" to "going in" on the global stage. Bashu Academies is a "magnet" that uses advanced cultural dissemination concepts to gather and integrate excellent cultures from ancient, modern, Chinese, and foreign cultures as a "iron"; The Academies is also a "neighborhood". It uses advanced cultural communication concepts to stimulate and amplify the charm of various cultures and vigorously spread them, so that the Academies will become a characteristic platform and an important channel to promote folk friendly cooperation in cultural exchanges along the "the Belt and Road". In effective communication, enhance cultural confidence internally and increase the influence of Chinese culture externally.

Literary animal studies - delving into the roots of human-animal interactions examine how animals are portrayed in different literary works in context of cultural attitudes, and ethical issues, is the study of animals and their representation in literature (Ortiz-Robles 55). Emerging as an interdisciplinary field, human/animal studies encompass a wide range of disciplines that make up the so-called "new humanities," which are concerned with human behavior and culture (Gottschalk11). The discussion draws from a wide range of fields, including but not limited to: “primatology, ethics, genetics, cognitive science, literature, history, philosophy, and cultural studies” (Singer 1). The classified and digitalized illustrations of Animals in the Human Societies worldwide by way of tangible or intangible depiction for consciousness-raising towards their predicament or for extracting the allegorical aesthetics use medium of language and form in creative writings, while visuals are either in digitalized generative images or as sculptures to denote perceptual observation, selection of sensitivity for the sake of perceptual defense to sensitize the readers and viewers. Their existing signifiers signify a set of dominant power relations or religion-ethical connotations of society towards animalism or for animals. Literature, Arts and Media have shown how the 'Animals in Question' are the agents through their mode of action to compete for legitimacy and authority and it is the medium of writing or the pictorial depiction categorically function either as a manner of Liar's Paradox or a counterpoint to humans' humanity. The research area of study attempts to analyze the ’gaze’ that sorts the trajectories, strategies of the internal and external stimuli and draws a brilliant analytical parallel picture of cultural, social, and hegemonic origin and influence by way of totalitarianism, imperialism, capitalism, and materialism. The eco-system both fragmented and diversified

epitomize ‘the deepest tensions, social conflicts, rituals, taboos, and myths of humanity’s struggle to come to terms with its physical environment ‘through the bewildering, skeptical world of fictional’ (Orwell, xii).) animal fables in order to transform and restructure society. Otto Keller's enormous two-volume book "Die Antike-Tierwelt" from 1913 (reprinted 1963) served as the only thorough compilation of data on specific animal species in the ancient sources for over a century (Campbell 27). Scholars like Liliane Bodson and Richard Sorabji began to radically alter this perception and identification. Their goals are comparably metaphorical to bring paradigm shift for understanding both digitalized and non-digitalized, protected or non-protected archival visual representation of animals in order to pave for humanitarian conflict resolution towards prehistoric and modern arguments, and to make the prehistoric data speak to larger issues and concerns in classical research (Sorabji 36).