Chambana Sun

Proposals are being sought for a symposium centered on themes of gender and sexuality, coinciding with the exhibition "Imagination, Faith, and Desire: Art and Agency in European Prints, 1475–1800." This event aims to delve into the evolving conceptions of sexuality and gender in Europe during the premodern era, roughly from 1300 to 1750.

During this period, printmakers explored these themes extensively. Through various mediums such as art prints, broadsheets, fashion plates, and anatomies, human subjects were depicted in ways that reflected cultural attitudes towards gender and sexuality. Iconic works like Albrecht Dürer’s "Adam and Eve" and Henrick Goltzius’s "Farnese Hercules as Seen from Behind" not only exemplify artistic excellence but also convey notions of idealized bodies, gender roles, and sexuality.

The symposium will investigate how artistic production before 1750 intersected with issues of sexuality and gender. The call is open for 20-minute paper proposals addressing topics such as women and gender nonconforming artists, unconventional gender identities, printed media related to same-sex desire, fashion's role in gender politics, and case studies analyzed through feminist or queer perspectives.

The event will be conducted in a hybrid format to allow broader participation. Nicole Cook from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston will deliver the keynote address focusing on seventeenth-century Dutch prints that depict "nightwalkers," offering insights into spaces for gender nonconformity.

Abstracts of up to 250 words along with a two-page CV should be submitted by April 1, 2025. Submissions should be sent to Sandra Racek at Northwestern University and Maureen Warren at Krannert Art Museum.