CFP CAA 2018: Agnotology of Contemporary Middle Eastern Art

Samine Tabatabaei Announcement

When the first exhibitions of contemporaneous art from the Middle East were presented to North American and European audiences in the last decades of the twentieth century, the absence of knowledge about Middle Eastern art on the part of those educated in North American and European schools became obvious. This panel is an attempt to systematize the gaps in our knowledge. The aim is to delve into the blind spots and obstacles to learning and engaging with, and writing about, contemporary art of the Middle East in local, regional, national, and transnational projects of archiving, writing, and mobilizing art historical knowledge. The term agnotology was coined by linguist Iain Boal and historian of science Robert Proctor for the study of culturally engendered ignorance; this panel probes the absence of knowledge of contemporary Middle Eastern art in the West, the cultural factors that induce it, and its effects on art practice and history. We invite contributions that explore (but are not limited to):

-subjection to trials and tribulations of the market,-the canonizing efforts of European and North American art institutes,-the instability of governments,-competing ideologies,-the uneven distribution of resources and disparities in infrastructures,-the unquestioned biases of tradition,-systematic amnesia,-impractical regimes of preservation,-outdated educational systems,-cultural revolutions,-negligence,-arbitrary and unsustainable attempts at preservation,-strategic funding priorities,-parochial counter-histories,-homophobia,-and logistical limitations among other forces that have arrested, delayed, prevented, and overshadowed our access to knowledge.

Proposals are due to session chair by Monday, August 14, 2017. Submissions must include: Completed session participation proposal form (located at the end of the CAA CFP brochure) with CAA member ID, paper/project abstract of maximum 250 words, a CV with the exact name and affiliation as you prefer to appear in the program.

Contact Information

Samine Tabatabaei

Contact Email
Samint@protonmail.com