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Call for Papers, Chronicles and Curation: Documenting Cultural Transitions in the Wider Middle East

The Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT is seeking presenters for a session at the BRISMES Annual Conference, 5-7 July 2017, at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Chronicles and Curation:  Documenting cultural transitions in the wider Middle East

Periods of transition and upheaval pose a particular challenge to those involved in cultural documentation and curation. During such times, the categories, terms, and epistemologies—the very systems we use to classify cultural knowledge—are in flux. Instability and turmoil can obfuscate or obliterate traces of another culture or society. Our panel will focus on these concerns in praxes of chronicling and curating cultural heritage. Papers may explore one or more of the following:

  • Exploration of archives across time and space
  • Ethical and practical issues
  • Documenting ideological and intellectual debates
  • Provenance, ownership, and possession
  • Constraints and opportunities
  • Conflicting chronicles
  • Hegemony and representation
  • Crisis of the modern nation state

This list is not exhaustive. Interdisciplinary, collaborative, and comparative approaches are encouraged. Submissions are not limited to any time period and those highlighting connections between the Middle East and other areas are welcome. Participants will fund their own travel and participation. Proposals should be less than 500 words and submitted via email to Sharon C. Smith (scsmith@mit.edu) and Michael A. Toler (mtoler@mit.edu). Include a brief biographical paragraph or abbreviated CV of no more than one page. Proposals should be submitted as early as possible, but no later than 24 January 2017. Proposals received after that date cannot be considered.


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