Un appel à communications est lancé pour un colloque international et interdisciplinaire organisé à l'université de Genève les 7, 8 et 9 septembre 2016 sur les dispositifs de simulation du monde du début du XIX^e siècle à aujourd'hui. Nous proposons de designer sous ce terme toute installation simulant la présence du spectateur dans un autre espace et/ou un autre temps, et visant à faire vivre à un large public une expérience historique, géographique et/ou physique, comme le panorama, le plan relief, le diorama, le cinéma, le géorama, le globe, les dispositifs optiques comme le zootrope, les parcs d'attraction ou à thèmes, les musées – notamment musées des sciences, de photographies ou de cartographie.

Conference organized at the University of Geneva - 7, 8 and 9 September 2016

Argument

An international and interdisciplinary conference is being organized at the University of Geneva about apparatuses (dispositifs)simulating the world, from the beginning of the 19^th century until today. Under this term we propose to designating any installation stimulating the presence of the spectator in another space and/or another time, aiming to bring to life to the public a historic, geographic and/or physical experience. Examples include: panoramas, raised-relief maps, dioramas, cinemas, georamas, globes, optic devices such as the zoetrope, amusement and theme parks, reconstructions in miniature of geographic entities (neighborhoods, cities, countries) and museums – for instance photographic, science, maps and cartographic museums. We are interested in how these apparatuses—products of the rapid growth in technical and scientific knowledge as well as of leisure—contributed to transform societal visions of the world, and the relation of individuals to the world (their relations to the body, society, space, time, and unfamiliar places) over two centuries.

We are proposing three lines of reflection:

• The first concerns the production of these apparatuses: who invented, used and promoted them? What visions and what conceptions of the world did they hope to promote? Did they respond to economic, scientific or ideological motives? Through what kinds of staging and techniques did they bring space and time to be seen, understood and experienced?
• A second relates to the experience of spectators, with particular attention to the sources used and the methods employed to explore the question of how these installations/devices/displays were received. What emotions, sensations and knowledge did these apparatuses engender over two centuries?
• A third line of inquiry addresses the stakes and impact of these apparatuses: what consequences did they have for the worldview of spectators:  their conceptions of the world, the relationship of bodies to space, their sense of identity?  And, beyond this, what impact did these apparatuses have on the world itself (at the levels of politics, economics, the landscape, and so on.)

Calendar

Paper proposals (including CV, title, and abstract of approximately 500 words) in either French or English should be submitted

by January 30, 2016

to: estelle.sohier@unige.ch

Speakers will be informed of their acceptance shortly after.

The conference will be held on September 7, 8 and 9. 2016

Conference organizer

• Estelle Sohier, Université de Genève

Organizing committee

• Federico Ferretti, Université de Genève/University College Dublin
• Allison Huetz, Université de Genève
• Estelle Sohier, Université de Genève
• Jean-François Staszak, Université de Genève

Scientific Committee

• Jean-Marc Besse, Centre national de la recherche scientifique
• Charlotte Bigg, Centre national de la recherche scientifique
• Teresa Castro, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle – Paris 3
• Federico Ferretti, Université de Genève/ University College Dublin
• Maria Gravari-Barbas, Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne
• Allison Huetz, Université de Genève
• Olivier Lugon, Université de Lausanne
• Michel Lussault, Université de Lyon - ENS de Lyon
• Laurence Madeline, Musée d'art et d'histoire, Genève
• Vanessa Schwartz, University of Southern California
• Estelle Sohier, Université de Genève
• Jean-François Staszak, Université de Genève
• Kelley Wilder, De Montfort University (Photographic History Research Center)