2 July 2012
International line-up for University conference
Academics from three continents will come together at the University of Dundee this weekend for an international conference exploring how verbal and visual media can both preserve and fabricate the past.
Researchers from universities in Scotland, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Canada, the United States and Australia will take part in the 19th annual Scottish Word and Image Group Conference at the Dalhousie Building from Friday 6th-Sunday 8th July.
'Excavating Time: Uncovering and Recovering the Past in Word and Image' will consider the processes by which the past might be accessed, preserved, represented, interpreted or 'fabricated' through distinctive interactions between different media.
Dr Keith Williams from the English programme at Dundee and one of the event organisers said the conference would disseminate current research and thinking in word and image studies.
"Many of the world's top researchers in word and image studies will be presenting at this conference, and we are delighted to be welcoming them to Dundee," he said.
"We are looking forward to a weekend of lively discussion and thought-provoking lectures by leading thinkers in this field from across the globe. A diverse range of topics will be covered and contributions will be made from researchers with backgrounds in literature, philosophy, art history and many other subjects."
The conference will feature keynote lectures by Professor Liliane Louvel from the University of Poitiers, France, and Nat Edwards from Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.
The talks will cover a wide range of subjects and materials, from photography to museums collections and art galleries, stone circles, Medieval and Pre-Raphaelite art and literature, to comics and graphic novels. There will also be an exhibition, a tour of McManus Galleries, a civic reception and a walking tour of Dundee.
Word and image studies are carried out by researchers working across a wide variety of disciplines and frequently collaborating with colleagues from other specialist subject areas.
The Scottish Word and Image Group (SWIG) was formed in 1994 and has established itself as a home for academics and artists who seek to promote an interdisciplinary approach to analysis and criticism.
SWIG began holding conferences at Aberdeen University in 1994. In 2004 the group's organising committee moved to Dundee University, where the conferences are currently held. The conferences attract participants from all over the world, reflecting the group's international membership, and SWIG maintains links to the International Association of Word and Image Studies.
In 2014, SWIG will be hosting the IAWIS triennial conference on 'Riddles of Form: Exploration and Discovery in Word and Image', the first time this global event has been held in Scotland.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277 |
