Japanese Art since 1945: The First PoNJA-GenKon Symposium

In April 2003, the PoNJA-GenKon (Post-1945 Japanese Art Discussion Group /
Gendai Bijutsu Kondankai) list-serve was established to bring together
specialists and professionals of the English-speaking world working on or
interested in Japanese art made since 1945. In addition to disseminating
information pertaining to the study of post-1945 Japanese art, PoNJA-GenKon
also hosts active debate around issues addressing both specifically postwar
Japanese art and Japanese modernity in general. In order to expand this debate
beyond cyberspace, and also to celebrate the second anniversary of its
founding, PoNJA-GenKon is organizing a two-day symposium at Yale University,
to be held April 22-23, 2005.
The symposium is generously sponsored by the Council on East Asian Studies at
Yale University.

PoNJA-GenKon is currently seeking paper proposals for an open session to be
held during this two-day symposium. Papers for this open session should be of
original and critical research into any topic within the following parameters:
1) the paper must address the work of artists active since the end of World
War II; 2) the artist(s) must have been either born in Japan or active in
Japan; 3) the work must demonstrably relate to aesthetic or socio-political
situations in Japan after 1945.

Submission is open to university faculty, graduate students, curators, and
independent scholars. All presentations will be limited to twenty minutes in
length. Domestic economy travel will be covered within reason and
international economy travel will be partially subsidized. Local
accommodations in New Haven will be provided for all presenters.

Paper proposals should be submitted no later than November 1, 2004 and must
include the following: 1) A one page abstract not exceeding 300 words in
length; 2) A Curriculum Vitae of no more than two pages in length and
including full contact information; 3) required technologies (slide
projectors, digital video projectors, VCR, DVD, etc). The above materials
should be sent, in Word format, to Reiko Tomii: post1945JAaol.com. Applicants
will be notified of their acceptance or rejection by mid-November.

For further information, and to become a member of PoNJA-GenKon, please direct
inquires to Reiko Tomii: post1945JAaol.com.