Interregnum - Delving into the possibilities of the in-between
14-16 April 2025, Venice
Conference
The interregnum is understood as a spatial and temporal interval between two established orders. As one dominant power makes way for the next, a discomforting unknown is created where multitudinous possibilities compete for existence. While this can create chaos and unrest, it also makes way for change. The interregnum creates a zone of potential transformation that can become a passage for a new paradigm where, suspended in the tension between subject and object, we no longer think of them as absolutes, but acknowledge them in a spectrum gradient between one and the other.
At this fork in the road we can reassess the old structures, conventions, and ways of thinking and choose whether to create a path for change or simply reaffirm what we already knew. However, these boundless possibilities also create a paralysing fear as we know any choice we make cannot be undone.
This leads us to question whether we truly wish to establish a new order, or remain in this passage that can bridge in-between worlds.
Do we really want to leave the interregnum? Are we ready to navigate the world beyond and confront the contradictions in our current systems, catastrophes, and revelations of our time? In the entanglement of diverse paradigms, how can we avoid finding ourselves lost in the chaos or stuck in a limbo of indecision?
Topics/sections
We welcome submissions from diverse fields of research that explore the multifaceted implications of the concept of interregnum, including but not limited to:
- Philosophy and Critical Theory: Philosophical inquiries and critical theory approaches that analyze temporal transitions, shifts in paradigms, and the reconfiguration of concepts such as power, identity, and subjectivity. Contributions might explore how interregnum periods challenge or redefine established ontologies and epistemologies.
- Social Sciences, Cultural Studies and Gender Studies: Contributions from sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies that investigate the social, cultural, and political dynamics during periods of transition. This can include studies on social movements, cultural transformations, identity politics, and the impact of interregnum on collective and individual psycho-physical experiences.
- History and Political Science: Research in history and political science that examines historical precedents of interregnum periods, regime changes, and the socio-political upheavals that accompany such transitions. This includes comparative studies of different historical periods of interregnum and their outcomes, as well as contemporary political analyses.
- Media Theory and Communication Studies: Analysis of intermediality, the role of media in shaping perceptions and narratives, and the impact of emerging media technologies on society. Contributions could explore how understanding media facilitate or hinder societal change.
- Literature, Arts, and Performance Studies: Contributions from literature, visual arts, and performance studies that creatively interpret the themes of interregnum. This includes literary analysis of texts that explore transitional states and the role of art in navigating uncertainty and change, or intermedial artistic expressions.
- Environmental and Technological Studies: Contributions that examine the interplay between environmental changes, technological advancements, and societal transitions. Studies might explore how environmental crises and technological innovations intersect with periods of interregnum, shaping new paradigms and societal responses.
- Natural and Applied Sciences: Research from fields such as physics, biology, chemistry, and engineering that explore scientific phenomena related to transition and change. This includes studies on ecological shifts, technological advancements, and their impacts on society and the environment. Interdisciplinary research that connects scientific discoveries with broader societal implications is particularly welcome.
Submission
Please submit your abstract (max 300 words) and a short bio (max 100 words) via e-mail to interregnum@unive.it by 10th November 2024 (23.59 CET).
We kindly ask you to submit your abstract and bio only in .pdf format.
The abstracts will be evaluated, and the conference programme will be finalized by a committee of PhD candidates from the Department of Asian and North African Studies at Ca' Foscari University of Venice.
- Notification of acceptance: by 16th December 2024
- Presence confirmation: by 20th January 2025
Programme
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Poster | 2 MB |
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Programme | 2 MB |
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Book of abstracts | 2 MB |
Venue
Ca’ Foscari (Aula Mario Baratto), Dorsoduro 3246, Venice (Italy)
This is an in-person event. Online participation can only be justified in specific cases at the discretion of the abstract-evaluation committee.
It will be possible to follow the symposium online only upon request. For more information and for queries please write to interregnum@unive.it.
Getting to Venice by plane
Arrival at "Marco Polo" airport in Venice (VCE)
From the airport you can reach Mestre or Venice (Piazzale Roma) by land (on a bus or taxi) or take the water route to Venice (Alilaguna boat or water taxi).
Getting to Venice by train
The Venice railway station is “Venezia Santa Lucia”. The principal train companies in Italy are Trenitalia and Italo. You can purchase the tickets at the train station or online, directly from the relevant websites.
Getting to Venice by car
Piazzale Roma and Tronchetto are the two areas in Venice that can be reached by car and where you can find the following park terminals:
Getting around Venice
For more tourist information please visit Venezia Unica, the Official City of Venice Tourist and Travel Information website.
Photo "Vaporetto stop Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia 07 2017 4038.jpg" by Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) CC BY-SA 4.0.
Organizers
PhD fellow, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Research fields: critical pedagogies; higher education studies; Japanese language education
PhD fellow, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Research fields: political ecology; regenerative practices in the Chinese food system; agroecology
PhD fellow, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Research fields: Chinese ecolinguistics; systems thinking
PhD fellow, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Research fields: Buddhism; ethics; new technologies
PhD fellow, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Research fields: Chinese second language acquisition
PhD fellow, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Research fields: Chinese art history; Chinese handscroll painting; media theory
PhD fellow, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
PhD fellow, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Research fields: critical animal geographies; indigenous knowledge; Himalayan studies
PhD Fellow, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Research fields: Urdu manuscripts; literary animal studies; Islamic art, literature and philosophy; Early Modern Deccan
PhD fellow, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Research fields: Chinese philosophy; metaphysics
PhD fellow, Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Research fields: migration and diaspora studies; transformative justice; social movement theory; artivism