CALL FOR PAPERS / 6th interdisciplinary ALMA conference "Painting as a story"

Methodological novelties to the fine arts’ research with the accent on the role of time depending processes affecting the object‘s identity and state of preservation.

Conference topics:

• Degradation phenomena (from chemical mechanisms to impacts on artwork's aesthetic value and identity)
• Unclear history (consistency and controversy of historical and analytical facts and comparative studies)
• Unclear future (recent experience with conservation of modern and contemporary art)

6th interdisciplinary ALMA conference focused on research, technology, history and conservation/restoration of paintings. The conference is going to be held in historical premises of the Augustinian Abbey, Mendel Square, Brno, on May 31 – June 3 2017. The usual date of the conference was postponed from the traditional November of an even year to spring of an odd year to achieve regular annual periodicity with a conference held in Krakow, Poland with a similar specialization. The tandem of these two conferences will create a united discussion platform for the field of interdisciplinary research of the fine arts in the Central European region. Therefore, in the programme committee of the ALMA conference 2017 there are not only Czech members, but also members from Slovakia, Austria, Germany and Poland. For the first time the conference is organized not only by establishing institutions of ALMA laboratory, i. e. Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., but also Moravian Gallery in Brno, Masaryk University Brno, and two partner institutions from Slovakia - Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava and Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. Because of the Czech-Slovak format of the organizing committee, it was decided to held the conference in Brno for the first time. The conference is going to be held under the patronage of the Rector of Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, MgA. Tomáš Vaněk, and the Rector of Masaryk University Brno, doc. PhDr. Mikuláš Bek, Ph.D. The conference is intended for researchers from the fields of natural and material sciences, humanities, restoration and conservation and arts, interested in current scientific knowledge on the topic and its possible use in practice.

The topic of the conference is “Painting as a story” where the need of the interdisciplinary approach can be seen in any potential context. Also a crystallographic workshop focused on authentication of artworks and the provenience analysis organized by International Union of Crystallography becomes a regular part of the tandem of Central European conferences.

The ALMA conference 2017 registration is now open and accessible on the website: https://www.alma-lab.cz/eng/informations-and-registration. It is possible to submit oral or poster presentations. Main conference language is English, a limited number of presentations can also be in Czech or Slovak.

Presenting students can ask for a financial support. Conference proceedings “Acta Artis Academica” is included in the international ISI Proceedings database (Web of Science). Important information can be found in the invitation (attached below).

Invited speakers

• Katrien Keune / University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Koen Janssens / University of Antwerpen, Antwerpen, Belgium
• Luciano Pensabene / Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, Italy
• Giovanni Cavallo / Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana, Canobbio, Switzerland
• Gilberto Artioli / University of Padova, Padova, Italy (CrysAC IUCr)
• Costanza Miliani / University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
• Jiří T. Kotalík / Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

Call for abstracts and registration opening: 7 November 2016

Abstract submission: 28 February 2017

Submission for financial support (for presenting students): 28 February 2017

Decision of acceptance: 20 March 2017

Early-bird registration: 30 April 2017

Date of the conference: 31 May - 3 June 2017

Questions regarding registration can be sent to a contact e-mail address: alma2017@alma-lab.cz.