Public Disorder : Post-World War II European Art and its Publics

AAH 2009 : Intersections

Following the end of World War II, artists across Europe, both east and
west, sought to re-imagine the identity of the public. The
internationalist utopia of the historical avant-garde had not come to
pass, the populism of the national socialist model had been discredited by
Fascism and Nazism, and it was yet unclear what shape the burgeoning
commercial public would take in either soviet block or western nations.

This panel seeks to foster a multidisciplinary conversation on the problem
of the post-World War II \"public disorder\".This necessitates crossing
disciplinary boundaries in order to :

1) Assess the relevance of current theories of the public and
counter-public spheres in relation to the art production of this period

2) Develop new models of mediation to elucidate the relationship between
artistic practice and the socio-political sphere and to elaborate on the
models of publicity that emerged within the specific conditions of
individual countries

3) Identify intersections between post-World War II paradigms of the
public and their contemporary reception and critique. It might also entail
considerations of art works that deliberately disdain public aspirations
to explore the realm of privacy as a potential locus of political engagement.

For example, what practices and sites did artists employ to engender a
new, often multiple, public body ? How did this endeavour intersect with
specific historical events - i.e., the various wars of independence,
establishment of the European Community, construction of the Berlin Wall,
events of 1968 ?

We seek papers that engage with specific case studies, employ new
theoretical approaches, and develop original methodological models.

For more information, please check the AAH website :

http://www.miriad.mmu.ac.uk/aah09/

http://www.aah.org.uk/

250 word abstracts should be sent by November 10, 2008 to :

Noit Banai
Noit.BanaiTufts.Edu
Department of Visual and Critical Studies, Tufts University/School of the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Hannah Feldman
H-FeldmanNorthwestern.Edu
Department of Art History, Northwestern University