International Conference : “Islamic Art History and Archaeology in Crisis? Challenges and New Perspectives”, in Madrid – 12-14 January 2017

International Conference, Madrid 12-14 January 2017

University of Zurich/German Archaeological Institute Madrid/Universidad Autónoma de Madrid/Museo Archeológico Nacional de Madrid

Islamic Art History and Archaeology are confronted with political, social and academic challenges that require the definition of a new standpoint. How far do conflicts and their related humanitarian and demographic changes have an impact on the discipline and its social acceptance? What consequences does the radical attitude of the Islamic State entail upon accessibility, research, and conservation of art and architecture in the Islamic World? And to what extent has the current situation lead to a thematic and geographical shift within the discipline, which not only finds itself in crisis since the victorious advent of Global Art History but is also confronted to anti-Islamic tendencies.

The conference, organized by the German Archaeological Institute at Madrid, the Universidad Autónoma, and the University of Zürich proposes to address the issues that now challenge the disciplines of Islamic art history and archaeology, as well as to contribute to point out to new perspectives. Areas formerly considered to be peripheral, such as the Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, the Balkans, the Gulf region, Southeast Asia, as well as Europe’s and North America’s diaspora, are now in the limelight of international studies. Simultaneously, the role of cultural contact zones appear ever more relevant. As a result, the discipline is opening itself to new paths and approaches.

The Program

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