Workshop

Migrating Histories of Art: Self-translations of a Discipline

Annual Workshop of the research project "Bilderfahrzeuge. Aby Warburg’s Legacy and the Future of Iconology" organized by Maria Teresa Costa and Hans Christian Hönes

The workshop situates itself at the crossroads of art history and translation studies, exploring, for the first time, the problem of self-translation in the realm of art writing. On one hand it seeks to provide a theoretical framework from Translation Studies, on the other hand it aims to offer case-studies from Art History and related fields, providing a unique and comprehensive overview on how a discipline defines itself through cultural transfers.

The workshop addresses these decisive migrations and considers how the adoption and processing of foreign-language texts and their corresponding methodologies have been fundamental to the disciplinary discourse of Art History, since the earliest days of its professionalization. The objects of investigation are both translations of texts by art historians who themselves migrated to other Sprachraums, changing their working language, and also the implication of this transfer for subsequent writings in the mother tongue.

In addition, the self-translations by art historians will be contextualised and juxtaposed against examples from other fields. This will lead to a case-based discussion of the theoretical and practical consequences of the understudied phenomenon of scholarly self-translation, especially with regard to the possibilities and limitations of the dissemination of art-historical methodologies (and therefore of the discipline itself). Consequently, the study of self-translations also addresses the problem of (un-)translatability of concepts and ideas.

The topics considered include:

  • Self-translation as a theoretical phenomenon;
  • Case studies on self-translation from art history and related disciplines;
  • Reports and reminiscences of personal experiences with self-translations and self-translators.

08 October – 09 September 2015

Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz
Max-Planck-Institut

Palazzo Grifoni Budini Gattai
Via dei Servi 51
50122 Firenze

Notice

This event will be documented photographically and/or recorded on video. Please let us know if you do not agree with the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz using images in which you might be recognizable for event documentation and public relation purposes (e.g. social media).

Newsletter

Our Newsletter provides you with free information on events, tenders, exhibitions and recent publications from the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz.

If you would like to receive our newsletter, please enter your name and e-mail address:

*required field

Notes on the content of the newsletter and transit procedures

This letter is sent via MailChimp, where your e-mail address and name will be saved for sending the newsletter.

Once you have completed the form, you will receive a "Double-Opt-In-E-Mail," in which you are asked to confirm your registration. You can cancel your subscription to the Newsletter at any time ("Opt-out"). You will find an unsubscribe link in every Newsletter and in the Double-Opt-in-E-Mail.

You will receive detailed information about transit procedures and your withdrawal options in our privacy policy.