Four students in the Faculty of Fine Arts / Interdisciplinary PhD Humanities program to participate in the international research residency, the Former West Research Congress held at the HKW (Haus der Kulteren der Welt) in Berlin, 18-24 March 2013 - a hugely significant scholarly meeting in the contemporary arts.
Dr. Alice Jim, Associate Professor in the Department of Art History, and the four students, are the only five participants from institutions based not only in Canada but North America (the participating institutions and organizations constitute quite an impressive international representation).
The theme of this year's Research Congress is, briefly, to foster critical re-interpretations of the recent post-1989 histories and to examine our global futures by casting new light on contemporary art in relation to developments in society and politics. The week-long meeting brings together nearly 100 internationally renowned intellectuals, artists, and curators in the field of contemporary art and culture as speakers from Homi Bhabha, Boris Groys, to Franco "Bifo" Berardi and Irit Rogoff, and many, many more luminaries.
What is unique about this annual international Research Congress is that its flagship program is centred around what they call the "Learning Place" which is a seven-day intensive workshop program exclusively for 80+ graduate students from all over the world under the direction of 30 of the program contributors. The students are expected to each produce a document at the end of the program based on the public lectures and their closed workshops. Scholarly preparation for the Research Congress has included and continues to include their participating in the CISSC Curatorial Working Group (2012-2013) seminars and workshops, and assigned readings and discussion groups.
Dr. Alice Jim has been invited to participate by way of selecting up to four stellar students to bring to the Congress as the "Canadian delegation" and mentoring them through the process. The Congress has Concordia University listed as a collaborating institution with her name under it. Funding for student travel has been provided by the HKW, Associate Dean of Research and possibly other departments, still tbc. Jim's participation is funded by her SSHRC grant.
The four students, all of whom have advisors in the Department of Art History and various other departments in the Faculty of Fine Arts, are:
- Mikhel Proulx (MA Program, Art History)
- Mark Schilling (PhD Humanities Program, CISSC)
- Shauna Janssen (PhD Humanities Program, CISSC)
- Dana Samuel (PhD Humanities Program, CISSC)
Opportunities such as this impressive meeting geared towards graduate students are indeed rare. Dr. Alice Jim is fully confident that Mikhel, Mark, Shauna and Dana will benefit enormously from their participation at Former West as well as through research travel to a nexus integral to their own research projects, given their own research interests which concern the themes of Former West.
Dr. Jim was invited to the Former West Congress by Annette Bhagwati, a professor at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin and an affiliate faculty member of art history.
Additional information
Dr. Jim and four graduate students to participate in Former West Research Congress being held in Berlin.
18-24 March 2013