CfP: Collections – Encounters – Inspirations

Date of event:   15/08/2019 − 15/08/2019

International Conference

Collections – Encounters – Inspirations: Reception of Japanese art and crafts in Central and Eastern Europe before the establishment of diplomatic contacts between Poland and Japan in 1919

After a long period of non-existence, Poland reappeared on political maps of the world in 1918 and began to establish diplomatic relations with many countries, including Japan in 1919. It became an active partner in Central and Eastern Europe by making its contribution to the development of cultural relations in this region that are ongoing to this day. These were not entirely new activities, however, as before 1919 the inhabitants of Polish territories participated in cultural exchange in various fields (including art) by actively cooperating with collectors and artists from Europe and beyond. Some examples being the creation of the collections of Japanese art and crafts, and exchange of art-related experiences and ideas within Europe. Such collections not only helped to circulate the knowledge about Japan throughout Europe, but also inspired European artists in the process of creating their own works of art.

This conference commemorates the 100th anniversary of Poland’s diplomatic relations with Japan. The primary objective of this project is to promote the inter-sector cooperation between universities, museums, associations, collectors and artists specialising in Japanese art and culture. Furthermore, the project aims to create a network for international cooperation among scholars exploring encounters between Japan and Central and Eastern Europe (from their first encounters until now), including collections of Japanese arts and crafts, the role of collectors and the reception of Japanese arts and crafts in Central and Eastern European countries. We have the pleasure to extend our invitation to all scholars who are interested in joining our project or taking part in our conference.

The Conference and the Meeting will be organised by the Institute of Intercultural Studies of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, the National Museum in Krakow and Polish Institute of World Art Studies in Krakow and Warsaw. The venue of the meeting will be the National Museum in Krakow – the Feliks Jasieński Szołayski House, and the conference will be held in the Main Building (Gmach Główny) of the National Museum in Krakow, which hosts the famous portrait, “Lady with an Ermine” by Leonardo da Vinci. The Krakow Old Town, part of the former capital of Poland, was one of the first Polish sites added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. You are most welcome to join!

Language of the conference:

The primary language of the conference will be English.

Submission and publication:

The submission should be sent to: Europe-Japan2019@uj.edu.pl (email topic: Europe–Japan2019 submission). It should consist of abstract (500–700 characters) and short information about the participant (300 characters).

Each speaker will be given 30 minutes: the paper presentation (20 minutes) will be followed by a discussion (10 minutes). There will be sufficient time for discussion and personal contact during the conference as well.

As we are planning a post-conference publication, papers – to be considered – should be submitted by 15 August 2019 (length: 20.000 – 30.000 characters).

For more information, please see the PDF.