[spectre] CFP: Art in Society (Zagreb, 1-4 Jul 26)

[Andreas Broeckmann LEU]

From: Dragan Damjanović
Date: Nov 28, 2025
Subject: CFP: Art in Society (Zagreb, 1-4 Jul 26)

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Jul 
1–04, 2026
Deadline: Feb 10, 2026

This conference explores art as a dynamic force embedded in social and 
cultural life, shaping and reflecting the communities in which it is 
created and in which it exists and circulates. Artworks and artistic 
practices are active participants in negotiating political, religious, 
and cultural identities, challenging social hierarchies, and offering 
new ways of seeing and understanding the world. They intervene in social 
life by generating knowledge, amplifying marginalized voices, and 
fostering dialogue across diverse communities through participatory 
urban, rural, nature-based projects, public installations, 
interventions, performances, exhibitions, or digital platforms. Art’s 
symbolic and epistemic power allows it to question dominant narratives, 
create alternative perspectives, and expand collective understanding, 
while collaborative production and audience engagement further transform 
both meaning and social impact.

This conference invites contributions that examine the multiple roles of 
art in society, including its social, cultural, and epistemic 
dimensions, and its potential to engage communities, challenge 
assumptions, and foster meaningful connections.

Contributions from disciplines beyond art history—including sociology, 
anthropology, cultural studies, architecture, urban studies, media 
studies, and related fields—are also encouraged, reflecting the 
conference’s interdisciplinary focus. Also welcome are critical 
approaches that question established frameworks and methodologies, 
examine power relations, and reflect on the assumptions of art’s social, 
cultural, and epistemic roles.

The following themes, among others, are of particular interest:

1.    Shaping community identities through and by art – political, 
religious, and diverse social identities 2.    Art’s role in social 
transformation – social housing, urban planning, community engagement, 
ecological initiatives
3.    Engagement of art historians and institutions in wider social 
contexts – through educational initiatives, media, and cultural 
activities, including art in schools, television, and social media platforms
4.    Collaborative relationships in the production and communication of 
art – including architecture, public installations, participatory 
projects, and the organization and design of exhibitions, where 
interactions between experts, artists, and audiences (physical or 
digital) are central
5.    The life of artworks in society – including provenance research, 
alterations and interventions on historic art in public places, and other

Abstract submission deadline: 10 February 2026.
Notification of submission outcome: by 25 February 2026.

Paper proposals should contain author(s)’s name(s), affiliation, title 
and the body of text, written in English, which should not exceed 400 
words and a short author’s biography not longer than 250 words.
Prospective participants may also submit a session proposal; however, in 
such cases, the proposal must include the names of all presenters in the 
session, and the necessary accompanying information (abstract, bios, 
affiliation).

More info on the conference and conference fee at: 
https://artins.ffzg.unizg.hr/

The official language of the conference is English.

The conference is organised as part of the research project: 
“Representation, Development, Education, Participation – Art in Society 
in 19th – 21st Centuries", IP-2022-10-9843, funded by the Croatian 
Sciences Foundation”.

Reference / Quellennachweis:
CFP: Art in Society (Zagreb, 1-4 Jul 26). In: ArtHist.net, Nov 28, 2025. 
<https://arthist.net/archive/51244>.

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