SAVAH: SOUTH AFRICAN VISUAL ARTS HISTORIANS (formerly known as SAAAH)
22nd ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Hosted by the Vaal University of Technology
Department of Visual Arts and Design
7-10 September 2006

CALL FOR PAPERS

TRANSFORMATION/S IN VISUAL CULTURE

Recent conferences of the association have served as platforms for
critical debates on transformation. These debates have transpired within
the context of institutional, historical, social and political changes in
South Africa. The forthcoming conference, in the historic struggle area of
the Vaal Triangle (Sharpeville), aims to expand and develop this
discussion. We invite papers that address issues and problematics around
transformation in the visual arts in southern Africa, covering (but not
confined to) such areas as: institutions and institutional culture; visual
objects and modes of representation; identity and politics of race and
gender; disciplinary discourse and its application to education; the role
of visual culture in community development; public culture; museum
culture; approaches to art history.

We are delighted that Sylvester Ogbechie of the University of California
Santa Barbara has agreed to present the keynote address. Professor
Ogbechie is renowned for his research on alternative modernities, and the
colonial and postcolonial conventions of representation in the arts and
visual cultures of African and African diaspora populations. He serves as
editor for Nka, African Arts and Ijele, the principal journals of
contemporary African arts and visual culture, and is founder and director
of Critical Interventions: Journal of African Art Theory and Criticism, a
new publication addressing the place of African art in specific historical
processes. Professor Ogbechie was a delegate at the recent SESSIONS eKAPA
2005, the first phase of the major exhibition of contemporary African art
scheduled for Cape Town in September 2006. We believe his participation in
our SAVAH conference will give a key perspective on the issues of
transformation in the visual arts in South Africa.

Paper proposals should include a title and be 200-300 words in length.
Please submit by Friday 17 March 2006 to:

Judy Ramgolam
Department of Visual Arts and Design
Vaal University of Technology
Private Bag X021
Vanderbijlpark
1900
Tel: +27 16 950 9101 (w)
Cell: 084 504 3127
Fax: +27 16 950 9462
E-mail: judyvut.ac.za
judyramtelkomsa.net

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