Fragility and Recalcitrance: Reuse in Sculptural Practices from Antiquity to Now.

In light of so much global destruction, our increasing awareness of the finiteness of resources, and the continuing legacy of colonialism, Sculpture Journal invites authors to explore how these issues have impacted artistic and cultural production through the lens of materiality specifically. Centring on the theme of reuse and its attendant terms — recycling and appropriation, looting and spolia — we invite reflection on the fragility, but also the recalcitrance, of artworks and their materials. Our aim is to tackle the topic from a transhistorical and global perspective. We encourage submissions that deal with reuse in any period of time, from antiquity to the present day, as well as any geographical context.

Sculpture Journal is looking to examine reuse in its full range of meanings. What are the reasons and ways that artists have reused materials and objects in their work? How have artists engaged with the idea of reuse, both as a method and a theme, in sculpture and other forms of three-dimensional art? What new forms of expression and engagement with the past, and with the notion of memory, has reuse offered artists? How have artists responded to war and ecological disaster in the selection of their materials? How, and to what end, have artistic practices salvaged vulnerable materials, made use of waste products or incorporated fragments into works, but also how can we address the fraught implications of practices of reuse, such as the question of looting and cultural appropriation?

We invite abstracts of up to 250 words that address the theme of sculptural reuse throughout time. We are especially interested in submissions that address the topic of reuse with a certain urgency. These might include, but are not limited to, engagement with questions of environmental destruction or in relation with war and looting. Please send abstracts to teresa.kittleryork.ac.uk and charlotte.matteruzh.ch by 1st December 2024. Final submission of full-length articles (6000–7000 words including endnotes) will be requested by 1st March 2025.

Sculpture Journal is the foremost scholarly journal devoted to sculpture in all its aspects across the globe. It provides an international forum for writers and scholars in the wider field of sculpture, including all three-dimensional art and monuments. Published by Liverpool University Press, the journal offers a keen critical overview and a sound historical base, encouraging contributions of fresh research from new and established names in the field.

www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/journal/sj