Photo: Henrik Johannson
Asia in Circulation
9th Annual ADI Conference
26-28 June 2017 - Asian Dynamics Initiative - University of Copenhagen
The 2017 annual ADI conference addressed the question of ‘the Asian century’ that is yet to be fully examined. We attended to the ways in which new connected histories, flows and connections both within, and beyond, territoriality are taking shape. What kind of circulatory worlds are produced through these multiple connections forged across temporalities via commodity trade, investments, human migration, technology, tourism, religion, art, literature and other forms of cultural consumption? How has Asia historically circulated beyond its territorial boundaries? And how do these circulations shape the contemporary world?
Confirmed keynote speakers
- Francesca Bray, Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Edinburgh
- Sumathi Ramaswamy, Professor of History, Duke University
- Nora Annesley Taylor, Alsdorf Professor of South and Southeast Asian Art History, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Francesca Bray is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh. Her fields of speciality are Material culture; China and East Asia; Gender Regimes; Agriculture; and the politics of food, technology and society. With an outset in agricultural history and the history of science, technology and medicine in China, Francesca Bray is now the President of the Society of the History of Technology.
Professor Francesca Bray's keynote address: The politics of the handloom: craft, technology and the modern nation in China and India
Sumathi Ramaswamy is Professor of History at Duke University. A cultural historian of South Asia and the British empire, her research over the last few years has been largely in the areas of visual studies, the history of carto-graphy, and gender. Sumathi Ramaswamy's work in popular visual history has also led her to co-establish Tasveerghar: A Digital Network of South Asian Popular Visual Culture.Professor Sumathi Ramaswamy's keynote address: A Mahatma on the March: Towards an Aesthetics of the Ambulatory
Nora Annesley Taylor is Alsdorf Professor of South and Southeast Asian Art History at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She specialises in modern and contemporary Vietnamese art and the interconnectedness, or lack thereof, in Southeast Asian art. In addition to this, she is responsible for curational projects at The Alsdorf Galleries of Indian, Southeast Asian, Himalayan, and Islamic Art.Professor Nora Taylor's keynote address: Southeast Asian Artists' Global Networks
Arms Race in Asia? The Role of China’s Military Rise for the Powers in Asia
Convener: Bertel Heurlin, University of Copenhagen; You Ji, University of Macau
The military expenditures in Asia are increasing. China is responsible for the highest growth although the percentage is gradually decreasing … »Asian Accelerations
Conveners: Lars Højer and Stine Simonsen Puri, University of Copenhagen
“Tiger economies” used to associate Asia with speed. Yet, it is increasingly clear that while some ”tiger economies” continue to have elevated growth rates along with rising prices, the general picture is much more complex … »Branded Nation: Image, Commodity, Surplus
Convener: Ravinder Kaur, University of Copenhagen
This panel addresses the transformation of the nation-form into commodity-form. Consider the ubiquitous and colorful presence of ‘Incredible India’, ‘Cool Japan’, ‘Creative Korea … »China’s Borderlands in the Making of the Nation
Conveners: Ildikó Bellér-Hann and Edyta Roszko, University of Copenhagen
This panel explores the significance of China’s inland and maritime borderlands and their inhabitants both in the past and in the contemporary setting … »(En)countering Sexual Violence in the South Asian City
Conveners: Atreyee Sen and Emilija Zabiliute, University of Copenhagen; Raminder Kaur, University of Sussex
This panel invites papers that address the theme of encountering and countering rising sexual violence (broadly defined) in cities in South Asia, and analyse such phenomena through the lens of urban social transformations in the region … »Exhibiting Asian Modernities
Conveners: Jens Sejrup and Oscar Salemink, Dept. of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen
Like with all continents, the idea of Asia historically emerged through the collection, circulation, and exhibition of art objects in museums, galleries, and other exhibitionary spaces … »Globalization, International Trade and Economic Policy
Convener: Jakob Roland Munch, University of Copenhagen
This panel aims to bring together international scholars to exchange ideas and to discuss recent results in theoretical and empirical research on international trade … »Going Comparative in Asia
Convener: Jun Liu, University of Copenhagen
This panel aims to explore reflectively comparative perspectives and approaches in researching social, political, economic, and cultural system in Asian countries … »Research for Change: Reconfiguring Society and Politics through Theory and Engagement
Convener: Dan V. Hirslund, University of Copenhagen
What does it mean to say that research is relevant for the fields in which we work? How does research actively contribute to addressing concerns that are clearly present in our fields … »The Politics of Local Food Movements in Scandinavia and East Asia
Conveners: Anders Riel Müller, NIAS; Erik Mobrand, Seoul National University; Hyejin Kim, Singapore National University; Niels Heine, Aalborg University
In many of the world’s wealthiest regions production of food is no longer an activity that occupies many ordinary citizens … »Trade and Translation of Buddhist Material Culture across Asia
Conveners: Trine Brox, University of Copenhagen; Emma Martin, University of Manchester
Historically, trade routes served as transmission belts for Buddhist theology. The nexus between trade and Buddhism is most commonly understood in the spread of Buddhist theology and art across Asia … »Urban Struggles, Digital Obstruction
Convener: Mark Philip Stadler, University of Copenhagen
This panel is concerned with how urban activism struggles with the obstructive effects of social media and smart city applications in the realization of transformative change … »South Asia across the Nordic RegionInaugural meeting for South Asia scholars and practitioners across the Nordic region.
Digitial Urbanism - Open Academic World Cafe
Convener: Mark Philip Stadler, University of CopenhagenA photographic journey through Incredible India
// S P A R K S F R O M I N D I A //
In spring 2015, 18 photographers went to India to meet Indian nature photographer and organizer of various travel experiences in India, Mr Sabir Mallick.
They all started up in Delhi, then went to Rajastan, where they were joined by a group of young local students, 3 of them were chosen to join in on the group exhibition that Tina Lorien later on decided to show in her gallery – Gallerie Lorien in Copenhagen. She was well aware that it would not be a financial succes – but the message of the show/images was too good not to be shared.
So all in all it ended up with 3 images pr person, 22 photographers. 4 from India (including 3 amateurs), 8 from Canada, 4 from Hungary, 2 exile cubans now in USA, 1 polish man living in Germany, 1 from Turkey, 1 from Italy & 1 from Denmark.
The trip took a month - and it ended in south India – Munnar region / Kerala.
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Some of these images will be exhibited at the ADI conference. The exhibition will be opened and introduced at a recption on 26 June from 4.30 pm
Faculty of Social Sciences, City Campus (Building 35)
University of Copenhagen
Øster Farimagsgade 5
1353 Copenhagen KThe exhibition is facilitated by Immigrant Art
Special thanks to:
Tina Vehage Lorien, Curator, Gallerie Lorien
Nicol Foulkes Savinetti, Immigrant ArtGuli's Children (43 mins)
A Joe Thomas Karackattu Film
As part of the ADI Conference 2017, there will be a screening of Joe Thomas Karackattu's documentary "Guli's Children".
Guli’s Children brings out the cultural-historical ties, the physical artefacts and - most importantly - traces of human genealogy that survive between Kerala (in India) and China. Calicut (also known as Guli in Chinese) was an important node in the overall links between China and Kerala. The film successfully locates the descendants of a Malayalee family (i.e. from Kerala) that moved from Calicut to China over 700 years ago, and settled there. The film is a work of non-fiction, and reveals new insights into the history of Kerala-China relations that survive to this day. Guli's Children has been screened in India, China, United States and Singapore; and made it to the shortlists at two international film festivals. This is Dr. Karackattu's debut film, and is basically a visual representation of his current research. The trailer is available on Youtube.
Time: 28 June 2017, 15:30-17:30
Place: CSS, Faculty of Social Sciences, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Building 7, Room 7.0.18Biography of the filmmaker:
Dr. Joe Thomas Karackattu is an Assistant Professor at the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. He was "Fox Fellow (2008-09)” at Yale University and was also awarded the inaugural "Centernary Visiting Fellowship" (nominated award) at SOAS, University of London in 2013. Recently he was chosen as a 'China India Scholar Leader' for 2017-19 (one of eight globally) by the India China Institute at the New School, New York.Faculty of Social Sciences, City Campus (Building 7 and 35)
University of Copenhagen
Øster Farimagsgade 5
1353 Copenhagen K
DenmarkThe plenary sessions will take place in auditorium 35.01.06, and the panels in the conference rooms 35.0.13, 7.0.01, 7.0.08, 7.0.18, 7.0.22.
How to find us
The Faculty of Social Sciences is located at the former municipal hospital of Copenhagen (Kommunehospitalet) right across from the Botanical Garden and next to 'the inner Copenhagen lakes'.
- Campus map (pdf-format)
Room numbers contain information about building, floor and, of course, room number needed to find any room on the premises.
First digit indicates building number, second digit indicates on which floor the room is located and the third digit is the room number, e.g. 35.0.12 means that room 12 is located in Building 35 on the ground floor. If the room number says 01 in the second digit, it means that the room is located in the basement.Arriving by bus
Busses number 14, 37, 42, 5A and 6A all have stops near the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Schedules can be found at the website of Movia (public transport in Greater Copenhagen).
Arriving by Metro
The metro station closest to the Faculty of Social Sciences is "Nørreport". From there it is a five minute walk to the Faculty.
The Metro runs day and night. At rush hours (between 7-10 and 15-18) the intervals between departures are 2-4 minutes. Outside rush hours the intervals are 3-6 minutes.
More information can be found at the Copenhagen Metro's website.
From the City Hall Square it will take you about 20 minutes to walk to the venue.
Marie M. Yoshida
Conference Coordinator
Asian Dynamics Initiative
Øster Farimagsgade 5, Building 18
DK-1353 Copenhagen K
Tel.: +45 35 32 95 21
Email: marie.yoshida@nias.ku.dk
Sponsors
The conference has received generous support from
Organisers
Ildiko Beller-Hann, Dept. of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
Jørgen Delman, Dept. of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
Ravinder Kaur, Dept. of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
Jakob Roland Munch, Dept. of Economics
Marie Roesgaard, Dept. of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
Edyta Roszko, Dept. of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies
Oscar Salemink, Dept. of Anthropology
Marie Yoshida, Asian Dynamics Initiative