CFP: Session at AAH (London, 5-7 Apr 18)

Global Perspectives on Surrealism

CFP: Session at AAH (London, 5-7 April, 2018)

From: Susannah Worth <susannah.worth@tate.org.uk>

Date: Oct 24, 2017

Session convenors:
Krzysztof Fijalkowski, Norwich University of the Arts
Matthew Gale, Tate
Jennifer Mundy, Tate
Gavin Parkinson, Courtauld Institute of Art, gavin.parkinson@courtauld.ac.uk

Surrealism was international to its core. Originating in Paris, home to artists, writers and intellectuals from many countries, the movement vehemently rejected nationalism and colonialism, and went to extraordinary lengths to reach out to and bring together like-minded individuals around the world. Personal communications and journeys, the staging of international exhibitions, and the dissemination of books and magazines helped spread surrealism’s belief in revolution and ideals of liberty, poetry and love. But how was the movement perceived in other countries? What were the elements in its philosophy, literature and art that individuals in other cultures found resonant or problematic? And in the post-war years, when surrealism was discounted as outdated by many, in what ways and with what aspirations did it continue to flourish or influence artistic production?

In examining how surrealism was viewed beyond Western Europe and North America, this session aims to look outside the usual geographies and interwar histories to enable a more complex and critical understanding of the transnationalism of the movement from the 1920s to the 1960s. We hope that papers will bring to light the political and cultural particularities of surrealism’s reception in locations as diverse as Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Japan, Mexico and South America, as well as the circumstances through which individuals around the world identified themselves as surrealist or were identified as such by the movement. Decentring surrealism in this way will, we hope, encourage a fresh and critical appraisal of the movement’s ideas and influence.

TO OFFER A PAPER

  • Please email your paper proposals direct to Gavin Parkinson, Courtauld Institute of Art, gavin.parkinson@courtauld.ac.uk
  • You need to provide a title and abstract (250 words maximum) for a 25-minute paper (unless otherwise specified), your name and institutional affiliation (if any).
  • Please make sure the title is concise and reflects the contents of the paper because the title is what appears online, in social media and in the printed programme.
  • You should receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your submission within two weeks.

Deadline for submissions: 6 November 2017

Reference: CFP: 4 Sessions at AAH (London, 5-7 Apr 18). In: ArtHist.net, Oct 30, 2017. <https://arthist.net/archive/16570>.