Organizers: Prof. Dr. Fernando Vela Cossío (ETSA-UPM) / Prof. Dr. Francine Giese (UZH) / Dr. Ariane Varela Braga (UZH)

Advisory Board: Prof. Dr. Juan Calatrava (UGR) / Dr. Claudia Hopkins (University of Edinburgh) / Henrik Karge (TU Dresden) / Rafael López Guzman (UGR)

Keynotes: Rafael López Guzman (Universidad de Granada) / Henrik Karge (TU Dresden)

Call for Papers (Versión castellana abajo)

The aim of this conference is to discuss the role of national and international exhibitions, academies of Fine and Decorative Arts and polytechnical schools for the global diffusion of the Moorish Revival in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As recent research has shown, the display of the Islamic heritage of al-Andalus and its appropriation for exposition pavilions, together with the training of artists and architects, were significant in the spread and affirmation of the neo-Moorish style. 

Whereas World Fairs have attracted the attention of scholars since quite a long time, national exhibitions have been less studied, even though they have been equally important for the shaping of artistic trends. The same can be said for the role played by academies and polytechnical schools, where new architectural styles have been transmitted. As is known, cast collections were widely used as didactical tools; but how precisely were they integrated in the teaching practice and what other resources were important within this context? Likewise, academies were essential for the construction of a historiographical discourse that intended to integrate the Hispano-Islamic heritage into either national, European or global art histories. How did these pioneering publications contribute to the reception and appraisal of this legacy?

These and other questions will be the object of the international conference, to be held at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSA-UPM). 

We invite to submit papers that treat these aspects of the global diffusion of the Moorish Revival according to the following sections:

1. Displaying al-Andalus at World Fairs
2. Shaping identities at national and international exhibitions
3. Teaching the neo-Moorish style at academies and polytechnical schools
4. Hispano-Islamic heritage in 19th and early 20th-century art historiography

Papers will have a duration of 20 min. Conference languages will be English and Spanish. Abstracts of no more than 300 words, together with a short CV, should be sent to: [email protected]

Deadline for submission: August 15, 2018