CfA Moving Biography Summer School

Life trajectories are at the centre of LAWHA. Artists’ biographies are an important indicator of the socio-political currents, influences and values of their time and place, and show the entanglement and flow of networks. The gap in knowledge about artists from the Arab region and their works in comparison to academic reflection on European art and institutions constitutes a challenge when trying to understand the context in which art has been produced, and what agents and incidents have been formative in artistic production.

LAWHA/Orient-Institut Beirut in collaboration with the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Global (De)Centre invites doctoral and postdoctoral researchers to apply for an international Summer School, entitled Moving Biography, that will take place in Beirut/Lebanon from 1 to 8 June 2022.

Moving Biography is a one-week interdisciplinary summer school bringing together different perspectives, to question disciplinary assumptions and decenter life writing. It will focus on three main themes: (1) questions of data (2) the act of creation, and (3) the importance of the social and historical context of biographies.

Funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and convening an interdisciplinary group of students and faculty, Moving Biography is organised around a combination of plenary talks, working sessions, and workshops. Participants will have the chance to present their ongoing research in small groups to get feedback and critique.

Deadline for applications is 30 November 2021.