Places in History. Conception, use and transformation of space,
Torino, 16-18 October 2019
The students of the PhD Program in Archaeological, Historical and Historical-Artistic Sciences of the University of Torino (XXXIII cycle) organize the international conference “Places in History. Conception, use and transformation of space”.
The conference, addressed to young scholars, will focus on the concept of place as the main outcome of human interaction with space. This is envisaged on the basis of an interdisciplinary approach for exploring, in all their aspects, the concepts of ‘space’ and ‘place’ as far as their polysemy and interdependent nature are concerned. Starting from the consideration that space pre-exists human agency and experience, it is assumed that, becoming place, it was conceptualized by human perception, made tangible by human activity, and defined by language. Places can be thus regarded as demarcated areas of space, ideal or real, involved in transformation processes, which often gained symbolic values enduring in time.
The conference aims at offering the opportunity to address and discuss different topics, with a special focus on the relation between literary sources and other archaeological, historical and artistic records. Deeming the most up-to-date studies on the construction and transformation of places, participants are invited to address the
correlation and interference between real, perceived and represented space in an interdisciplinary perspective.
The Scientific and Organizing Committee welcomes proposals addressing the following topics:
- political dimension of space: creation and redefinition of real and ideal places;
- rights of space ownership, occupation and exploitation of places: definition of boundaries; criteria of social inclusion or exclusion; jurisdiction over space of communities or institutions;
- conception of space: symbolic values, forms of identity and identification with places;
- theoretical reflection on space and places: the keeping of interpretative models and sociocultural traditions in front of historical changes;
- perception, representation and redefinition of space in painting, sculpture, architecture and urbanism;
- spaces of representation: collections, museums, and public places;
- spaces and places of artistic geography: models and figurative languages;
- organization of space: places of memory and memory of places;
- moving through space: redefinition of religious and civil places through liturgies, rites, devotions, celebrations, ceremonies.
Participation to the conference is open to young scholars, such as Doctors, PhD students and candidates.
Proposals should be sent to luoghinellastoria@gmail.com by 14 April 2019.