Historians of Islamic Art Association
Fourth Biennial Symposium
Forms of Knowledge and Cultures of Learning in Islamic Art
CALL FOR PAPERS
October 16-18, 2014
The Aga Khan Museum, Toronto
The Fourth Biennial Symposium of the Historians of Islamic Art will be held at the
Aga Khan Museum, Toronto from Thursday evening, October 16, through Saturday,
October 18, 2014. The HIAA Symposium is the biennial forum for the presentation
and discussion of diverse aspects of Islamic art history, and is open to all, regardless
of nationality or academic affiliation.
The overarching theme of the Fourth Biennial Symposium is “Forms of Knowledge
and Cultures of Learning in Islamic Art.” The symposium seeks to explore the
ways in which forms of knowledge and cultures of learning gave direction to the
visual arts in the Islamic world. The myriad expressions of Islamic art reflect
traditions of learning that developed in environments that emphasized education.
The acquisition and transfer of practical and theoretical proficiency have historically
been regarded as a tangible social value in Islamic culture. In art and architecture,
learning has been a defining mechanism, giving impetus to innovation and
continuity alike. The intellectual and experiential dimensions of artistic production
necessitate recognition of the significance of the professional formation of artists
and invite reflection on the connections between artistic process and meaning.
To this end, papers are invited which will delve into the forms of technical,
scholarly, literary, philosophical, mystical, and scientific (mathematical, botanical,
astronomical, etc.) knowledge that have been instrumental or intrinsic to the
creative traditions of building, decorating, writing, painting, weaving, and objectmaking.
Proposals for papers are warmly invited from new and established researchers in
the field of Islamic art and architecture, and topics may include:
●Practical and theoretical knowledge in the artistic traditions
●Relationship between different categories of art or architecture
●Intersection of arts, sciences, and/or letters
●Buildings and institutions
●Epistemology of production and dissemination
●Training and teaching in art and architecture
●Historiography of Islamic art
●Individual or groups of objects
●The roles of learning and knowledge in modern or contemporary art
●Trade and exchange of ideas and forms
Submissions and queries should be e-mailed as a Word or PDF attachment to:
HIAA2014symposium@gmail.com
The deadline for submission for all proposals is October 18, 2013.
Proposals may be submitted either for individual papers or for pre-arranged panels.
Paper proposals should include your name, contact information, affiliated
institution, proposed paper title, and the proposal abstract. Panel proposals should
include the panel description and the names, contacts, and proposal abstracts of all
participants. The abstracts should be no longer than 500 words and should indicate
the original contribution of the proposed paper and/or panel in sufficient detail and
with some indication of its conclusions.
The abstracts, including those for pre-arranged panels, will be reviewed by the
Program Committee, and will be the basis for the evaluation of all submissions. The
Program Committee will group individually-submitted proposals into sessions, with
the expectation that some sessions will be interdisciplinary.
The 2014 Symposium Program Committee:
Karin Ruehrdanz, The Royal Ontario Museum
Ruba Kana’an, The Aga Khan Museum
Oya Pancaroğlu, Boğaziçi University
It is expected that some financial support may be available for travel and
accommodation of accepted speakers on an as needed basis. Further information
about funding will be available in advance of the Symposium.
All symposium participants must be HIAA members in good standing. To join or
renew your membership in HIAA, please follow the instructions on the HIAA
website: http://www.historiansofislamicart.org.
Notice of acceptance or rejection will be sent by email by February 3, 2014.
View the program and abstracts of the Third Biennial Symposium, held in New York
in October 2012.
View the program and abstracts of the Second Biennial Symposium, held in
Washington, D.C. in October 2010.
View the program and abstracts of the Inaugural Symposium, held in Philadelphia in
October 2008.