“Pilgrim Arts of the Eighteenth Century”

46th ASECS Annual Meeting
Los Angeles, CA

Session chairs:
Noémie Etienne, Institute of Fine Arts
Meredith Martin, New York University/Institute of Fine Arts

Inspired by Robert Finlay’s description of porcelain as the “pilgrim art,” this session aims to track the movement and changing materiality of artworks across time, space, and culture during the long eighteenth century. Materiality, along with an interest in displacements, manipulations, and artisanal practices, plays an essential role in art history today. Examining the way art objects were treated, transported, and transformed helps us to understand how they were perceived and reimagined in new physical and cultural environments. Paying attention to gestures, materials, and techniques – as well as to individuals, such as
restorers, who mediated between artworks, artists, and the public, is an efficient way to “repeupler les mondes de l’art,” (“repopulate the worlds of art”), according to Bruno Latour. It also enables us to go further with some traditional art historical questions - such as authorship, expertise, or authenticity – while opening onto new methodological perspectives. Topics may explore any of these issues or introduce new ones related to materiality and mobility. Interdisciplinary and cross-cultural
investigations are especially encouraged.

Please submit you proposal (around 1000 words) and a Resume CV to Noémie Etienne (ne477nyu.edu) and Meredith Martin (msm240nyu.edu) before September 15, 2014.