This conference explores art as a dynamic force embedded in social and cultural life, shaping and reflecting the communities in which it is created and in which it exists and circulates. Artworks and artistic practices are active participants in negotiating political, religious, and cultural identities, challenging social hierarchies, and offering new ways of seeing and understanding the world. They intervene in social life by generating knowledge, amplifying marginalized voices, and fostering dialogue across diverse communities through participatory urban, rural, nature-based projects, public installations, interventions, performances, exhibitions, or digital platforms. Art’s symbolic and epistemic power allows it to question dominant narratives, create alternative perspectives, and expand collective understanding, while collaborative production and audience engagement further transform both meaning and social impact.

This conference invites contributions that examine the multiple roles of art in society, including its social, cultural, and epistemic dimensions, and its potential to engage communities, challenge assumptions, and foster meaningful connections.

Contributions from disciplines beyond art history—including sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, architecture, urban studies, media studies, and related fields—are also encouraged, reflecting the conference’s interdisciplinary focus.
Also welcome are critical approaches that question established frameworks and methodologies, examine power relations, and reflect on the assumptions of art’s social, cultural, and epistemic roles.

The following themes, among others, are of particular interest:

1. Shaping community identities through and by art – political, religious, and diverse social identities
2. Art’s role in social transformation – social housing, urban planning, community engagement, ecological initiatives
3. Engagement of art historians and institutions in wider social contexts – through educational initiatives, media, and cultural activities, including art in schools, television, and social media platforms
4. Collaborative relationships in the production and communication of art – including architecture, public installations, participatory projects, and the organization and design of exhibitions, where interactions between experts, artists, and audiences (physical or digital) are central
5. The life of artworks in society – including provenance research, alterations and interventions on historic art in public places, and other

Abstract submission deadline: 10 February 2026.
Notification of submission outcome: by 25 February 2026.

Paper proposals should contain author(s)’s name(s), affiliation, title and the body of text, written in English, which should not exceed 400 words and a short author’s biography not longer than 250 words.
Prospective participants may also submit a session proposal; however, in such cases, the proposal must include the names of all presenters in the session, and the necessary accompanying information (abstract, bios, affiliation).

More info on the conference and conference fee at: https://artins.ffzg.unizg.hr/

The official language of the conference is English.

The conference is organised as part of the research project: “Representation, Development, Education, Participation – Art in Society in 19th – 21st Centuries", IP-2022-10-9843, funded by the Croatian Sciences Foundation”.