Conference Dates: 1-3 November 2024
Hybrid conference (online and in person at the National Art School, Sydney)
Call for Abstracts: (Extended) Deadline Friday 19 July 2024
In recent years, the material turn has gained increasing prominence across diverse disciplines. Simultaneously, the advent of new imaging technologies has transformed our understanding of what it means to make, view, and interpret images, calling into question their ‘materiality’. The Material Image, the 8th International Transdisciplinary Imaging Conference at the Intersections of Art, Science, and Culture to be held at the National Art School from 1-3 November, 2024, aims to actively engage with these developments by exploring the diverse materiality of images, particularly in relation to art. It seeks to understand how these images and practices reflect and influence societal values, communication dynamics, and the formation of collective ideas and identities in our visually saturated world.
Against this backdrop, new materialist theories have emerged in recent decades, emphasising the dynamic nature of matter and embracing aesthetics characterised by vibrancy, flux, and flow, across vastly differing scales. These perspectives offered an optimistic view of the interconnectedness between humans and non-humans. However, in today’s global context, marked by a pandemic, military conflicts, the rise of neo-fascism, the rapid infiltration of AI into daily life, and the escalating climate crisis, it is timely to reassess various forms of materialisms and materialities. These challenges prompt a critical examination of theories such as new materialism and their implications in addressing current issues and shaping future images. This reassessment is centered on recognising the critical role of art and creative practices in deepening our understanding of materiality within image discourses.
We welcome submissions from artists, designers, scholars, curators, and researchers in any field related to the conference theme.
Potential topics include:
The connection between materiality and image making.
The role of art in image discourses.
The role of materiality in the interpretation and reception of images.
The use of new technologies in creating and manipulating images.
The materiality of the image in relation to Country, place, and environmental change.
The relationship between materiality and representation in the GLAM sector (galleries, libraries, archives and museums).
How scale influences perceptions of materiality.
The intersection of the material and immaterial in art, science, and culture.
The materiality of analogue, digital and AI-generated images.
We also encourage reflections on specific questions and provocations:
What challenges and relevance does the ‘material image’ present in a culture preoccupied with online platforms like Instagram and TikTok?
How do understandings of materiality affect the valuation and circulation of material art commodities in the market?
What are the implications of the ‘material image’ for screen-based culture, media interactivity and the rise of crypto artefacts such as NFTs?
How does a ‘material image’ impact the value and circulation of objects with aesthetic or ‘immaterial’ qualities, like religious relics, icons, magical talismans, or souvenirs?
What does the ‘material image’ mean for reconsidering the concepts of aura or mystique?
How can weather, climate and atmosphere be materialised through creative practice?
In what ways do conceptual, post-studio, post-media, post-internet, or post-production practices influence understandings of the ‘material image’?
Submission Guidelines:
We welcome submissions in the following categories:
15-minute individual conference papers: 250-word abstract with 3-5 keywords and a 100-word biographical statement (peer-reviewed). Submission Form: Individual papers
Specialist panels (3-5 speakers per panel): 250-word panel summary with 3-5 keywords, 250-word abstract per paper and 100-word biographical statement per panel member. Submission Form: Specialist panels
15-minute individual artist talks (non-peer reviewed): 250-word summary with 3-5 keywords and 100-word biographical statement. Submission Form: Individual artist talks
All submissions are due by the extended deadline of Friday 19 July 2024 via Microsoft Forms (see links above)
Abstracts for conference papers and specialist panels will undergo double-blind peer review by the Conference Committee based on quality, relevance, and originality. The Conference Committee and Chairs will make the final decision on acceptance, considering the review recommendations.
We also welcome submissions for artist talks that foreground practice, emphasising the experiential and creative aspects of artistic work. Accepted submissions will be allocated up to 20 minutes in the program, including a Q&A session if appropriate. Please note that abstracts for artist talks will not undergo peer review; the final decision on acceptance will be made by the Conference Chairs.
Joint Conference Chairs: Dr Ben Denham, Dr Chelsea Lehmann, Dr Elizabeth Pulie (National Art School)
Conference Series Chair: Hon. Prof. Paul Thomas, University of New South Wales
Timeline:
Friday 19 July 2024: (Extended) Deadline for conference abstracts (panels, papers and artist talks)
Friday 12 July: Keynotes announced
Friday 13 September 2024: Notifications of abstract review outcome
Friday 27 September 2024: Registrations open with early bird discount
Friday 11 October 2024: Registrations (standard price)
Friday 11 October 2024: Conference program released
Friday–Sunday 1–3 November 2024: Conference
Conference Location: Cell Block Theatre, The National Art School, Gadigal Land (Sydney), Australia
Address: 156 Forbes St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010. More info: The Material Image location
Links:
