Miracles of Inconspicuous Things — Stephan von Huene and the Birth of Media Art – International Symposium | 21-23.10.2022

Organizer: Institut für Kunst und Baugeschichte [Department for Art and Architecture History]/Professorship Jehle at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Project Lead: Dr. Dr. Jesús Muñoz Morcillo, Prof. Dr. Oliver Jehle
Advisory Board: Prof. Dr. Horst Bredekamp, Dr. Petra Kipphoff-von Huene, Prof. Dr. Achatz von Müller, Prof. Dr. h.c. mult. Peter Weibel, Philipp Ziegler
Cooperation partner and venue: ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Stephan von Huene’s birth (Los Angeles 1932 - Hamburg 2000), the Institut für Kunst- und Baugeschichte [Department of Art and Architecture History] at KIT and the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe are organizing an international symposium in which both established researchers and young scholars will participate.

Stephan von Huene was an American artist of German origin. He is considered a pioneer of media art, who made important contributions to the field of kinetic sound art. But his legacy goes far beyond his sound sculptures and art installations. As one of the first teachers at the Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe (HfG), which was newly founded in the 1990s, he advocated a qualitative conception of media art that continues to inspire perceptual reflections on communication processes and human-environment relations. Perceived by his students as a feminist "teacher" at CalArts in the 1970s, and highly regarded as a research artist, Stephan von Huene can be understood as a pioneering figure of highly topical discourses. For example, he deliberately used the term "intra-action" with recourse to cybernetic theories to explain his art-human systems — long before this term was reintroduced into neo-materialist discourse by physicist and philosopher Karen Barad.

The symposium "Miracles of Inconspicuous Things — Stephan von Huene and the Birth of Media Art" will focus on the analytical and conservational development of his oeuvre, the art-historical classification of the artist, and a critical analysis of his work from the perspective of new discourses.

There are no thematic constraints. However, contributions to the following research areas are particularly welcome:
• Art historical classifications of the artist
• The Californian features of Stephan von Huene's art
• Stephan von Huene from a gender perspective
• Art and ecology or general ecology in Stephan von Huene’s artistic practice
• Longue durée focus, esp. concerning the cultural dialogue of his works with image-sound traditions and Native American cultures
• Applied cybernetics in the creation of Stephan von Huene (neurolinguistics, intra-action)
• Communication theory in the work of Stephan von Huene
• Conservation practice and material iconology

Proposals should be no longer than 600 words (excluding bibliography and footnotes). The bibliography included should indicate the scope and methodology of the research, as much as possible.

Please send your proposal to jesus.morcillokit.edu
Deadline Extension: June 30, 2022
Conference languages: English and German
The organizers will notify you by July 29, 2022, after the Selection Committee has reviewed all submissions.

Travel expenses within Germany and accommodation costs in Karlsruhe will be covered for the selected speakers.