Multimodality and the Messy Object: Exploring how rhetoric and materiality engage

We respond to the call for more research into entanglement between multiple (including non-visual and non-verbal) modes of communication within organizations by exploring relationships rhetoric materiality. draw on archival sources concerning Founder’s Building at Royal Holloway College (1874–1897). discuss building as a multimodal material object, inherently multiple, fluid messy: is open encounters with sociality through communication. find that such ‘messiness’ explains how spatial, aural, sensual visual embedded in object engage each other, well other visual, verbal numerical modes, crafting rhetoric: different sustain oppose evolve absences presences. messiness objects engagement materiality: materiality can limit or augment rhetoric, co-evolve when ‘rhetors’ (such founder governors College) their audiences students, visitors tax authorities) attempt transform (the Building) always something else, even an absent object.