EXTENDED DEADLINE: June 7, 2019

Representing Canada before and after Confederation: plural environments and British imperial symbolism

From: Dominic Hardy
Date: May 24, 2019

Imperialism presents a complex process of exchanges that create an immaterial space where centre and peripheries are linked via a collective vision of the world. This conception can be seen as a shared interface, maintained by visual and textual representations that are not necessarily confronted with what is real. The spatical imaginary that results is a process of production that includes, excludes, invents and adheres to its referent. It leans on social and aesthetic conventions; on identity based symbolic realms that can lend themselves to being appropriated, subverted or even rejected.

In 19th century Canada, one of the most avtive symbols of imperial domination is the British royal family. This panel seeks proposals that explore the use of this imperial symbol in the artistic practices and visual cultures taking place on territories identified as Canadian (whether Indigenous, Canadian, Settler) and suggests as starting points events that precede and follow the formation of the Dominion. We hope to shed light on the continuities and discontinuities that can be described between representations and artistic actions that were prompted, for example, by the first official royal visit to Canada (by Prince Albert, in 1860) , by the visit of Prince Arthur (1869-1870) or by the founding of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1880; other proposals in keeping with this theme are welcome too.

Submissions should include : the name, email address and institutional affiliation and rank of the applicant ; title of the proposal ; a proposal (300 words maximum) ; a brief biography (150 words maximum)

To be sent using the form available at https://uaac-aauc.com/conference/
to the session chairs:
Dominic Hardy | Marjolaine Poirier
Université du Québec à Montréal
hardy.dominicuqam.ca | marjolaine.poirier.mtlgmail.com

Deadline: May 31 2019