Salvador Dalí at the crossroads of the knowledge

International conference organized at the University of Lausanne,
Switzerland (2-4 December 2004)

CALL FOR PAPERS

Did Dalí aspire to the status of "homo universalis" after Leonardo da
Vinci's example? The eccentricity of the man often concealed the
cognitive magnitude of his thought, a thought that the artist had been
working out all through his life. To better appreciate Dalí`s imaginary,
which originates from a multitude of disciplines, we should first
comprehend the cultural and scientific context of his time.
His passion for knowledge was inspired by a father with an opulent
library enriched by a multitude of reviews in different languages.
Then, Dalíís familiarity with intellectual circles certainly
consolidated it. Such circumstances as the European cultural dynamism
embodied in the ìResidencia de Estudiantesî of Madrid, the openminded
attitude of the Catalan avant-garde and the numerous ideas of the
surrealists together with a fecund interaction with scientists of the
time (like René Thom, or some Nobel winners like Gabor and Watson),
certainly nourished Dalíís enthusiasm for knowledge. Moreover, Dalí
depicts himself as a bulimic reader who devours the most disparate books
and reviews, tearing apart the pages that interest him. At last, his
paranoiac-critical method, elaborated round the 30s, inextricably
combines rationality and irrationality: Dalí confers a leading role to
knowledge, considering it the privileged object of delirium and the
thinking model which consolidates the theoretical foundation of his
method.

For the centenary anniversary of the birth of the Catalan artist, this
conference proposes to sketch the dalinian sphere of knowledge. How did
the cultural substratum influence Dalí's work? How did the painter
attain to what we may define as his knowledge? And, how did the
cognitive object, after having been subjected to an interpretative
method, become itself a deciphering instrument? In this context, it is
essential to take into consideration Dalí's writings. These texts, which
are so difficult to classify and whose importance is often ignored,
abound in references and reveal their acquaintance with many cultural
domains.
Through this conference we would like to invite experts from all
cultural fields to present their reflections and ideas concerning Dalí
and his knowledge, so to have a vast range of approaches which come from
a multidisciplinary background and which could open up new and
innovative perspectives. Many subjects may be studied :
-Philosophical culture. From Plato to Nietzsche, from Kant to
Gestaltism, from Heraclite to Kolnai, from Chinese thinking to the
thought of the Catalan philosopher Pujols, Dalí's knowledge involves
both tradition and the most recent theories of his time.
-Scientific (and parascientific) culture. Beyond psychoanalysis which
was considered a science, Dalí shows an interest for all sorts of
scientific knowledge: the psychology of art, the most recent discoveries
concerning physics, quantum mechanics, mathematics, biochemistry,
genetics, holography, the morphogenesis, cybernetics and stereoscopy.
-Artistic culture. This one is related to creations and theories of
painting, photography, architecture, cinema, sculpture and decorative
arts.
-Religious culture. Dalí is fascinated by texts which reveal a
scientific theology and by mystical writings.
-Literary culture. This culture treats both European avant-gardes like
Cubism, Futurism, Dadaism, and others like romantic and decadent
aesthetics.

The languages of the conference are English and French . You may send
your abstract (with the title and a summary one half page in length)
before February 2 9th 2004 to one of the following addresses:

Prof. Danielle Chaperon
Section de langue et littérature françaises modernes
BFSH2
Université de Lausanne
CH-1015 Lausanne;
ou danielle.chaperonfrmod.unil.ch

Astrid Ruffa
Section de langue et littérature françaises modernes
BFSH2
Université de Lausanne
CH-1015 Lausanne;
ou astrid.ruffafrmod.unil.ch.

Prof. Philippe Kaenel
Section d'histoire de l'art
BFSH2
CH-1015 Université de Lausanne
ou Philippe.Kaenelhistart.unil.ch

The programme of the conference will be decided in March and the
evaluation of proposals will be communicated at a late date.
For information please contact Astrid Ruffa: Astrid.Ruffafrmod.unil.ch