This conference on Art in Translation seeks to address how arts discourse across linguistic borders affects the production, reception, and interpretation of art, music, literature and film in a globalized context. We invite proposals from scholars, professionals, and graduate students from a wide range of disciplines (art, aesthetics, music, and film history and theory, linguistics, translation, anthropology, cultural studies, literary criticism, philosophy, and other relevant fields). Equally welcome are proposals from artists, musicians, writers, performers, and filmmakers, whether in the form of conference papers or other types of presentations.

Possible questions and topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In what ways does language privilege the arts and art theory in hegemonic language communities at the expense of others?
• How are transnational and/or nationally localized languages adapting to globalized art discourse?
• In what ways can, and do, small language communities contribute to international arts discourse?
• How do hegemonic languages of arts discourse affect artists for whom these languages are not their mother tongue?
• What are the responsibilities and challenges of those who are translating art history, theory, or criticism from an internationally dominant language to an internationally marginal one, and vice versa?
• Is there art that cannot be “translated” from one culture/language community to another because of language or other local knowledge?
• Metamorphoses of semiotic and cultural systems in transition; repositioning of art and literature in time, cultural spheres and ideology
• Aesthetic challenges in translating one form of art to another
• Historical feats of reshaping art, translating art, changing cultural systems

Submission Guidelines:

Abstracts should be no longer than 500 words. All proposals must include the presenter’s name, academic/professional affiliation (all fields and disciplines will be considered), mailing address, phone number and email address. Presentations will be 20 minutes in length.

Please submit your proposal no later than 15 February 2010. Decisions will be announced by 15 March 2010. Submissions and inquiries may be directed to info@inotherwords.is.