Call for papers/proposals: Transart Institute Symposium

Trans-what?
Across and Beyond (Artistic) Research
Transart Institute Symposium
www.transart.org/transartfest/trans-what/

Sunday 28 July 2013 @ Supermarkt, Berlin
http://www.supermarkt-berlin.net

Call for papers/proposals (deadline 15 May 2013)

The prefix 'trans-' points to some of the problems of universal concepts
and ongoing boundary disputes between epistemes. It modifies the meaning
of what it is attached to: transaction, transcription, transgression,
translocation, transmission, translation, transdisciplinarity, to name
only a few of the many examples in contemporary culture. Transart
Institute positions itself in these alternative name-spaces where art
practice, knowledge production, and research processes operate in the
tensions between, across, through, and beyond establishing paradigms.
Rather than prefixing meaning, Hito Steyerl talks about artistic
research speaking several languages at once – and as "an act of
translation". But if this is the case, the symposium asks how do we
further translate 'trans' to account for the apparent normalisation of
its application?

As part of an ongoing process of developing a research community and
network, we are organising our first symposium in a series of bi-annual
events. In doing this, we wish to be reflexive (not least about the use
of the term trans-art), and invite researchers, artist-researchers,
artists, and others, to explore some of these acts of translation.

We are seeking proposals from researchers, artists, artist-researchers,
curators, and academics for short papers or alternative forms of
presentation such as performance-lectures. Submissions might relate to
the following as a point of departure and as a possible structure for
the symposium:

- modes of communication and exchange (trans-actions, trans-missions).
- forms and paradigms through which artistic research operates
(trans-criptions, trans-disciplinarities)
- spaces in which knowledge is formed, produced and disseminated
(trans-locations)
- the deeper consequences of changing something to something else
(trans-gressions, trans-formations, translations)…

We hope to uncover alternative models of knowledge production; to
excavate relatively forgotten histories of attempts to rethink
organizational and institutional structures; to explore the potential of
technological paradigms to redefine possibilities; and reveal examples
of non-traditional methods, use of non-textual language, speculations,
and actions.

DEADLINE for proposals: 15 May 2013

- Notification of acceptance will be announced: 31 May 2013
- Paper proposals should consist of an abstract (300 words) with title +
biographies (100 words) in preparation for a 20 minute presentation
- Alternative forms of presentations should consist of a proposal (300
words) with weblinks as appropriate to visuals, performances, etc.
- Submissions and all inquiries regarding submissions should be made to
[email protected]
- Proposals will be reviewed by faculty from Transart Institute, Aarhus
University and Plymouth University.