Iconophages: A History of Ingesting Images

Iconophages presents an art-historical account of the underexplored practices of ingesting images across Western cultures—from its ancient use in medicine, magic, and religion and the Christian tradition of "devotional cannibalism," to its echoes in modern and contemporary art. Beyond the hidden knowledge unearthed here, the book suggests new ways of understanding images and image creation by investigating the occasionally bizarre relations we maintain with them. Jérémie Koering's groundbreaking transhistorical study of iconophagy makes a wonderful addition to the legendary line of Zone Books publications. It will fit well on your shelves next to the books of George Bataille and Piero Camporesi, Guido Ceronetti’s The Silence of the Body, Eliot Weinberger’s Angels & Saints, or Zone Books' own three volume Fragments for a History of the Human Body. — Herbert Pföstl, Book Consultant for the New Museum Store.

Iconophages explores the history of consuming images, a practice dating back to antiquity in Europe and the Mediterranean. Jérémie Koering delves into why people have ingested frescoes, icons, and other figured artifacts, examining the underlying structures of imagination and the symbolic, religious, and social functions of this behavior.

Koering's interdisciplinary approach spans art history, cultural and material history, anthropology, and philosophy, revealing the hidden facets of this practice. The book highlights how incorporating images has been both a physical and imaginative investment, offering a new perspective on our relationship with visual culture.

2024; paperback; 6 x 9 inches; 480 pages, 120 b&w ills; ISBN: 9781890951276.