Disturbing Pasts: Memories, Controversies and Creativity

Konferenz in englischer Sprache

‘Disturbing Pasts’ brings together artists, photographers, curators, policy makers and academics from around the world, with the aim of networking with one another and exploring creative engagements with controversial and traumatic pasts in art practice, curating and museums.

Traumatic pasts have complex and often dramatic influences on the present. In many countries, legacies of war, colonialism, genocide and oppression return again and again to dominate contemporary politics, culture and society. The controversies surrounding traumatic pasts can shape policy, make or break governments, trigger mass demonstrations, and even spark violent confrontation. These pasts also inspire rich visual and creative responses, through which the past is remembered, remade and challenged, and the public space of the modern museum is the primary venue for these responses.

The conference is part of a two-year international research project led by Dr Leon Wainwright, Lecturer in Art History, The Open University, and funded by the European Science Foundation (Humanities in the European Research Area, HERA).
Please go to the project website for more detail about the background to the project, themes and intended outcomes www.open.ac.uk/Arts/disturbing-pasts/

Entrance to the conference is free, but places are limited, and so we ask that you please reserve in advance by writing to Julia Binter, Julia.Binter@ethno-museum.ac.at.

The project ‘Disturbing Pasts: Memories, Controversies and Creativity’ is financially supported by the HERA Joint Research Programme which is co-funded by AHRC, AKA, DASTI, ETF, FNR, FWF, HAZU, IRCHSS, MHEST, NWO, RANNIS, RCN, VR and The European Community FP7 2007-2013, under the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities programme.

Anmeldung: Julia.Binter@ethno-museum.ac.at.