Thinking about the material in a modest artists' book
Penser la matière dans un livre d’artistes modeste
Zu fragen der materialität in schlichten künstlerbüchern
Published on Thursday, June 29, 2023
Abstract
Although the book in all its variants and transformations plays a central role in almost every culture, it has long been perceived in parts, and not as a thoughtfully created totality. We propose a challenge: to consider the materiality of an ordinary book as an experimental field of art, to rethink the conception of the book in its totality and likewise under the material regime of sobriety, subtraction, and ecology.
Announcement
CIHA 2024 Congress call for Papers
Argument
Hardly any other object reveals the duality of form and content, i.e. the materiality of the object and its significance for production, reception and understanding, as clearly as the book. Although the book in all its variants and transformations plays a central role in almost every culture, it has long been perceived in parts, and not as a thoughtfully created totality.We propose a challenge: to consider the materiality of an ordinary book as an experimental field of art, to rethink the conception of the book in its totality and likewise under the material regime of sobriety, subtraction, and ecology.
It was not until the various bibliophile movements, fine art press and cooperations such as the Werkbund, but above all the material turn in cultural studies that the book’s material aspects were taken into account. In consequence, the book came to be perceived as a work of art. During the last decades, more and more artists worldwide have taken advantage of this concept by using the book as an enhanced space of communication and design. Today it is clear how broadly the term “book” is conceived, and how materials and concepts influence its meaning, reception and handling.
The materiality of the book directs our attention to the levels of meaning provided by text, image, material, and function. This focus makes apparent how the diverse components condition the book as a vehicle of reading, architectural space, and medium of communication and design. Likewise, simultaneity and succession, as they emerge through sequences of pages and mobility of turning pages, and ensuing cinematic effects, interaction and participation are determined by the materiality of the book.Thus, intermediality, interdisciplinarity and interculturality become relevant for the book in a way that can hardly be observed in any other artefact. The diversity of modalities of the book reveals how materiality and praxeology are related to each other and mutually support each other.The multi-perspective approach shall bring together a wide range of actors involved in the conception and production of the book.
The following topics, among others, are proposed to be examined:
- the book as a vehicle/platform of reading and/or aesthetic artefact in diverse cultures
- the book as the result of a diversity of crafts and cooperative processes the materiality of the book and its implementation in the digital world
- the book as an enhanced space of communication and design, as a total work of art (Gesamtkunstwerk) or a total installation,
- the book as architectural spacethe book in intercultural and transnational interactions
- the book as a product of interdisciplinary, intermedial, and participatory cooperation material aspects of the book from a global perspective and with regard to geographical diversity,
Submission guidelines
We invite you to submit proposals for a presentation or a performative performance of 30 to 60 minutes in length. Please, indicate the length of your contribution in your synopsis so that we can plan the section accordingly.
Deadline : 15 September 2023
Submissions should be written in English or French. Papers may be presented in either language.
Proposals must be submitted on the submission platform only: find the access below.
Papers will be presented in person in Lyon at the Centre de Congrès - Cité internationale, from 23 to 28 June 2024.
Speakers are responsible for their own registration, travel and accommodation fees.
We invite you to get in touch with your institutions of affiliation to find out how to finance your participation in the Congress. The organising committee is actively seeking support for the mobility of researchers. Please check regularly the the "Call for Grants" section of the website.
Corresponding author(s).
Email: hildebrand-schat@kunst.uni-frankfurt.de (Viola Hildebrand-Schat) leszek.brogowski@univ-rennes2.fr (Leszek Brogowski) k.bazarnik@uj.edu.pl (Katarzyna Bazarnik)
Convenors
- Viola Hildebrand-Schat Kunstgeschichtliches Institut Goethe Universität - Frankfurt (Germany),
- Leszek Brogowski Université Rennes 2, Rennes (France),
- Katarzyna Bazarnik, Institut of English Studies, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Krakow (Poland)
Subjects
- Thought (Main category)
Places
- Centre de Congrès – Cité internationale
Lyon, France (69)
Event attendance modalities
Full on-site event
Date(s)
- Friday, September 15, 2023
Keywords
- Künstlerbuch, Kunstgeschichte, Buchwissenschaft, Medientheorie
Reference Urls
Information source
- Viola Hildebrand-Schat
courriel : hildebrand-schat [at] kunst [dot] uni-frankfurt [dot] de
License
This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.
To cite this announcement
« Thinking about the material in a modest artists' book », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Thursday, June 29, 2023, https://doi.org/10.58079/1bht
