CALL FOR PAPERS

Art and Spatial Practices since the Wende

German Studies Association - October 4-7, 2007 - San Diego, CA

The social, political, economic, and cultural transformations associated
with the Wende have been accompanied by changes in the urban environments of
former East Germany. Shiny new corporate headquarters have been built and
churches and historical areas have been restored in the name of
conservation. But deserted industrial structures and emptied Plattenbauten
are also a large and significant effect of the Wende. Additionally, property
disputes have kept several buildings in a judicial limbo, facilitating
clandestine uses such as squatting, illegal nightclubs, and art
installations or performances. This session focuses on how artists,
designers, and other groups have participated in these spatial
transformations.

Art and spatial practices since the Wende include responses to the end of
the GDR and German unification as well as active initiatives that take
advantage of new circumstances to put forth alternative artistic, cultural,
and architectural models. Possible themes might include, but are not limited
to:

- Alternative or clandestine art galleries, exhibitions, installations, and
performances - Squats - Art works that comment on one or more aspects of the
Wende - The revalorization (and revitalization) of Plattenbauten

Please send 200-word abstracts and a CV or short bio by February 12, 2007
to:

- T'ai Smith, Maryland Institute College of Art, tsmith01mica.edu
- Daniela Sandler, Rhode Island School of Design, dsandlerrisd.edu