Art & Politics in Postwar Japan
The international conference Art & Politics in Postwar Japan will take place at the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, University of Copenhagen, May 26-27, 2016.
The conference will focus on art and politics in Japan in the period 1945-1975 in order to provide a foundation for scholars and general audiences to gain insights into the artistic and political situation of Japan in the immediate postwar period. The conference includes three keynotes speakers, who are all experts in Japanese avant-garde art movements in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as an open call for papers, from which we will select seven additional presentations. Open call for papers will provide a chance for scholars and artists to present their research and receive feedback from the invited keynote speakers as well as other participants.
Theme and Open Call
The Open call for papers will invite academic presentations that can contribute on the following topics:
- artistic movements and groups in Japanese society who were part of political movements or included political activism in their artistic practice
- artist groups and/or individual artists, who developed avant-garde strategies and new aesthetic practices in Japan
- relations between broader geopolitical events and artistic strategies in Japan
Deadline for submissions is March 1, 2016. Please forward a proposal of 300 words, and a short biographical statement (50 words) to artandpolitics@hum.ku.dk.
Registration
The registration is open from March 1 until May 1. The conference fee is 750 DKK (tax included), which includes coffee & tea, lunch and reception during the two conference days. Conference dinner on Thursday May 26 costs 500 DKK (tax included).
3 Keynote Speakers
Three distinguished experts within the field of Japanese art in the 1950s and 1960s are invited to give a keynote presentation and be available for academic exchange and discussions throughout the 2-day conference. All three keynote speakers have accepted the invitation.
Shimada Yoshiko, independent scholar and artist (Japan): "World Uprising - Matsuzawa Yutaka and international mail art projects in the 1960s and 1970s."
William Marotti, Associate Professor in Japan’s modern cultural history at University of California, Los Angeles (USA): "Locating Japanese Art and Politics in the Global 1960s: Nakajima Yoshio and International Untimeliness."
KuroDalaiJee, art historian of Japanese avant-garde artists and art movements in the 1960s (Japan): "Dadakan Homage: Naked Anti-War Action by Itoi Kanji"