Title: Narrating Japanese Art Histories: Past, Present, and Future – Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Collaboration between Ishibashi Foundation and Heidelberg University
Format: on-site, with a hybrid option available via Zoom
Duration: 28-30 June 2024
Location: Institute of East Asian Art History (IKO), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Japanese art and visual cultures are rich with narratives: stories that captivate readers and viewers, weaving intricate self-allusions and circling back in reflection; stories that educate, entertain, or undergo retelling and reproduction as acts of karmic redemption. The symposium “Narrating Japanese Art Histories: Past, Present, and Future” explores the engagement of Japanese arts with storytelling in visual terms across different times and media. This symposium also marks a dual academic celebration at the Institute of East Asian Art History (IKO) at Heidelberg University.
In 2024, we commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the Ishibashi Foundation Visiting Professorship program at Heidelberg University, generously supporting leading scholars of Japanese arts worldwide to spend a semester at Heidelberg. This initiative facilitates engagement with researchers, collections, and students, enriching and invigorating the field of Japanese art history. The program has fostered significant networking, research ideas, and transformative student experiences over the years.
Simultaneously, we honor the career and profound academic contributions of Professor Melanie Trede, former Chair of Japanese Art at the Institute of East Asian Art History. Professor Trede, a prominent scholar in Japanese narrative art, initiated the collaboration with the Ishibashi Foundation. The symposium’s theme aligns with Professor Trede’s lifelong academic pursuit in narrative painting, synergizing with the scholarly endeavors of speakers and scholars of Japanese art, many of whom have contributed within the visiting professorship program at Heidelberg. This symposium serves as a cornerstone in solidifying the scholarly impact of the Institute of East Asian Art History over the past two decades, in collaboration with the Ishibashi Foundation.
The keynote lectures will be delivered by Professors Melissa McCormick and Takagishi Akira. Confirmed speakers include Prof. Matthew McKelway, Prof. Julie Nelson Davis, Prof. Nakamachi Keiko, Prof. Yukio Lippit, Prof. Sarai Mai, Prof. Jaqueline Berndt, and others. The event will be open to the public and primarily conducted on-site, with a hybrid option available via Zoom.
Symposium Organizing Team:
- Katharina Rode-Kaya (Heidelberg University)
- Anton Schweizer (Kyushu University)
- Eugenia Bogdanova-Kummer (SISJAC)
- Lianming Wang (Hong Kong City University)
- Faculty and Staff, IKO, Heidelberg University
