Appel à communication : « Decline – Metamorphosis – Rebirth » (Ljubljana)

Decline – Metamorphosis – Rebirth (Ljubljana, 18-19 Sep
14)

Ljubljana, Slovenia, September 18 – 19, 2014
Deadline: May 12, 2014

Decline – Metamorphosis – Rebirth
International conference for PhD Students

Throughout history mankind has witnessed rises and declines of civilisations, governments and regimes, ideologies

and ideas, cultural movements and artistic creativity. The periods of crisis in social as well as artistic fields are generally

periods of reflection and pursuit of new ways. However, crises often bring about voices that advocate a return to old

values and beliefs. Various connotations may be implied by which in turn leads to different

understandings of the concept. That is why the term itself rarely refers to something revivals of ideas, past

ages and artistic movements are a common historical occurrence. In connection to these revivals and
bearing in mind Heraclitus’s utterance »Ever-newer waters flow on those who step into the same rivers.«, new questions

emerge: what is the effect of a new historical context on old, revived ideas, and what is the dialectical relationship between

their manifestations in different periods of time?

The international conference Decline – Metamorphosis – Rebirth is intended for PhD students and recent PhD graduates

from different fields of humanities and social sciences, who are invited to participate.
Proposed topics for interdisciplinary analyses are:

– understanding and interpretation of concepts of decline, transformation/metamorphosis and rebirth in different periods and in
different fields of humanities and social sciences;
– artistic creation and modes of living in periods of decline, transformation and rebirth (the effect of social changes on artistic
creativity, artistic and/or creative reactions on social changes);
– ways of understanding and attitudes towards historical phenomena, periods, and cultural heritage in different periods of time;
– decline, transformation and rebirth of social systems, political structures, ideologies;
– artistic and social contexts and the role of historicisms, neo- and post- styles in art;
– decline, transformation and rebirth as iconographical motifs;
– metamorphosis of iconographical motifs, ways in which they are perceived in new contexts;
– forgotten, rediscovered or »rehabilitated« artists;
– crisis, transformation, and rebirth in an individual artist’s oeuvre;
– revival (Nachleben) of concepts and content within art historical
periods.

Abstract in English of maximum 400 words should be send, with the title of the paper, name and contact information

(address, phone number, e-mail) until 12th of May 2014 by e-mail to phdconference2014@gmail.com or by post to

Department of Art History, Faculty of Arts, Aškerčeva 2,
SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (with the note « Conference for PhD students »).

For further information about the conference and the application please visit:
http://phdconference2014.wix.com/dmr-ljubljana