CALL FOR PROPOSALS - Glocal & Outsiders Conference

:: Call for proposals
:: Glocal & Outsiders Conference
:: Deadline: May 30, 2007

Center for Global Studies (Academy of Sciences and Charles University) http://cgs.flu.cas.cz/
International Centre for Art and New Technologies (CIANT)
http://www.ciant.cz
and Prague Biennale 3
http://www.flashartonline.com/pg\_PRAGUE\_BIENNALE3.htm
invite you to send proposals for the conference on the interplay between art, culture and technology and issues of globalization and international cooperation:

Glocal & Outsiders (part of the Prague Biennale 3)
Prague, 13. and 14. July 2007

Since the mid 1990's biennial exhibits in cities such as Johannesburg,Istanbul, Melbourne, Havana, Sao Paulo and other expanded the art world's institutional context beyond any imagination. Art became a new global spectacle which exposes various cultures and nations to an international audience. Asian contemporary art has become something like a fashion and museums are being built at an increasing rate in Asia as well as throughout South America with new collectors popping up all over the world. Parallel to this, art also incorporated emerging technologies and developed various interdisciplinary relations to science and industry. Technological innovations and artistic creativity joined forces in various new media festivals and events which brought new and very diverse groups and interests into play. Technology and globalization also changed the economic infrastructure of the art world. Internet services such as artprice.com allow artists to showcase their work to a very broad audience of international collectors which fund the contemporary art boom. On the other hand, many artists use the distributive and peer to peer properties of the internet to experiment with new economic models. Artists, critics, curators but also buyers are part of these global and technological exchanges and it is not clear yet whether these interdependences, integrations and interactions lead to reduction in diversity, to assimilation or to hybridization:
What are the challenges artworld is facing in the time of globalization and increasing technologization? How to balance cultural interests and local scenes with global opportunities and art with technological innovations? How to view the interplay of art and globalization in the context of complex economic, trade, social, technological, cultural and political interrelationships? How does art reflect upon globalization: does it support intercultural and transnational ideals or it is
indifferent to claims of geography, history, and identity? How does it
resist and how does it support globalization? Do new institutions and technologies allow us to enjoy and experience art from different
cultures or they unify them? What new forms of artistic and technical
exchanges are taking place? How does international cooperation help
emerging fields of art? How can new technologies expand the social,
economical, cultural and artistic aspects? What are the limits or
possibilities on the technological level to build art projects that
improve international cooperation? Do emerging technologies and art
institutions support cultural diversity or they level it?

We are calling for proposals by cultural theorists, cultural historians,
museum experts, art historians, art curators and experts of other
disciplines. Any program formats (papers, roundtable discussions, media
presentations etc.) are welcomed.

Proposals should include the following items:
1. Preliminary abstract, 150-300 words.
2. CV with e-mail address, phone and fax numbers.

Please send them by May 30, 2007 via e-mail to: Denisa Kera (kera AT
ff.cuni.cz ) and Aurelie Besson (aurelie AT ciant.cz)