Public Disorder: Post-World War II European Art and Its Publics
AAH 2009 : Intersections
Manchester Metropolitan University
April 2-4, 2009
Following the end of WWII, artists across Europe, both east and west,
sought to re-imagine the identity of the public. The internationalist
utopia of the historical avant-garde had not come to pass, the populism
of the national socialist model had been discredited by Fascism and
Nazism, and it was yet unclear what shape the burgeoning commercial
public would take in either soviet block or western nations.
This panel seeks to foster a multidisciplinary conversation on the
problem of the post-WWII 'public disorder.' This necessitates crossing
disciplinary boundaries in order to 1) assess the relevance of current
theories of the public and counter-public spheres in relation to the
art production of this period; 2) develop new models of mediation to
elucidate the relationship between artistic practice and the
socio-political sphere and to elaborate on the models of publicity that
emerged within the specific conditions of individual countries; 3)
identify intersections between post-WWII paradigms of the public and
their contemporary reception and critique. It might also entail
considerations of art works that deliberately disdain public
aspirations to explore the realm of privacy as a potential locus of
political engagement.
For example, what practices and sites did artists employ to engender a
new, often multiple, public body? How did this endeavour intersect with
specific historical events - i.e., the various wars of independence,
establishment of the European Community, construction of the Berlin
Wall, events of 1968? We seek papers that engage with specific case
studies, employ new theoretical approaches, and develop original
methodological models.
The conference will take place in English.
For more information, please check the AAH website:
http://www.miriad.mmu.ac.uk/aah09/
250 word abstracts should be sent by November 10, 2008 to:
Noit Banai
Noit.Banai@Tufts.Edu
Department of Visual and Critical Studies, Tufts University/School of
the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Hannah Feldman
H-feldman@northwestern.edu
Department of Art History, Northwestern University