INTERSEZIONI/INTERSECTIONS.
The cross-disciplinary vocation of urban history.

Since its emergence as a recognised field of study, urban history has sought to be interdisciplinary. In the wake of this innate but problematic vocation, AISU/Associazione Italiana di Storia Urbana is organising a new cycle of doctoral seminars dedicated to the city as a complex issue: the aim is to stimulate dialogue between the many historical disciplines that deal with the urban dimension, opening up a debate on the themes, results, and perspectives of ongoing or recently completed research.
The seminars, organised in collaboration with doctoral schools of different disciplinary backgrounds, will follow the same format: after a methodological introduction, a series of papers selected in response to a call for papers will be presented, concluding with a general discussion open to members. The papers presented at each seminar will be published - after peer review - in one of the AISU series.

THE CITY OF ART HISTORIANS
Naples, Wednesday 29 May 2024
The aim of the seminar is to analyse the interaction between urban history and art history in a multidimensional perspective, considering different approaches and scales of investigation in the long term and in the global context.
The study of art in relation to urban history can be understood either as the investigation of artistic sources of various kinds (maps, views, paintings, engravings) that may be relevant to the understanding of the city in its historical stratification; or as the study of works of art that by their very nature were conceived or installed with an urban dimension (e.g. fountains or sculptures ), or as key elements of more or less ephemeral ‘programmes’ or displays as part of self-representation processes. In other cases, works of art or artefacts may have acted as ‘activators’ of urban transformations or been used to underline the political and legal authority of fluid spaces (e.g. Bona of Modena, the Lion of Bari) or to ‘give voice’ to citizens (the Pasquino of Rome or other ‘pasquini’). Cross-referencing artworks and city places can also shed light on political and administrative life in formal and informal spaces, or on aspects of street life, such as affinities and conflicts between different powers or factions.

CALL FOR PAPERS
The call for papers is now open to proposals on any topic in line with the above guidelines, in any Italian, European or global context. However, in selecting the proposals, the scientific committee will give priority to studies that are presented in a comparative perspective and that raise cross-cutting interests. Topics could include, but are not limited to:
- the representation of the city through maps, views, or models, as stand-alone works, or recognisable within more articulated works of art
- the use and/or role of art in the processes of urban transformation
- the strategic placement of artworks or spolia in public spaces, such as squares, corners, crossroads, but also in front of civic and religious buildings
- art as an element of political topography, conferring administrative and legal authority on certain places, or serving to define new geographies of the public sphere
- the use of works of art as elements of ‘street life’, as depicted by iconographic sources, but also as works that testify to practices related to the daily or administrative life of a city

Papers addressing themes such as the role of art in the fragility of the landscape, heritage at risk, or the concept of an iconographic or visual ‘programme’, always in relation to the urban sphere, will also be considered.

Proposals must be sent to the Scientific Committee by e-mail (segretarioaisuinternational.net) by the deadline of 25 February 2024, accompanied by a title, a short abstract (max 1000 characters) and the author’s CV (max 1000 characters). Acceptance will be notified by 29 February 2024.

PARTICIPATION FEES
Participation in the seminars is reserved for AISU members.
- For members: free of charge
- For non-members: 2024 membership fee (https://aisuinternational.org/register/)

DEADLINES
- Opening of the call for papers 6 February 2024
- Closure of the call for papers 25 February 2024
- Notification of the acceptance of proposals 29 February 2024

ORGANIZATION
Bianca de Divitiis, Università di Napoli Federico II
Marco Folin, Università di Genova

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Bianca de Divitiis, Università di Napoli Federico II
Alfredo Buccaro, Università di Napoli Federico II
Giovanni Cristina, Università Roma Tre
Cristina Cuneo, Politecnico di Torino
Marco Folin, Università di Genova
Andrea Longhi, Politecnico di Torino
Andrea Maglio, Università di Napoli Federico II
Elena Manzo, Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Luca Mocarelli, Università di Milano Bicocca
Heleni Porfyriou, CNR-ISPC
Marco Pretelli, Università di Bologna
Massimiliano Savorra, Università di Pavia
Donatella Strangio, Sapienza Università di Roma
Elena Svalduz, Università di Padova
Ines Tolic, Università di Bologna
Stefano Zaggia, Università di Padova