RE-CREATING EARLY MODERN EUROPEAN FESTIVALS
Re-creating Renaissance and Baroque Spectacle: The Hispanic Habsburg Dynasty in Context.
6th and 7th of July 2010.
The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
www.recreatingearlymodernfestivals.com
Since the publication of Art and power: Renaissance festivals, 1450–1650 by Sir Roy Strong, scholars have had an increasing interest in Early Modern European festivals. The Europa Triumphans project at the University of Warwick created new enthusiasm for the subject among scholars and inspired the Renaissance Festival Books digitisation project by the British Library. Studies in Renaissance and Baroque European courts have been flourishing in recent years. The relations between ruler and ruled were both represented and performed in these often costly and elaborate events, which owed a great deal to classical models and humanist ideas. Books of festivals and chronicles also played a critical role in the dissemination of political propaganda and of the achievements of participants. Representations of power were highly mediated and were ambiguous reflections of royal authority and rites of passage, since the demands and desires of the ruled, as well as of the ruler, often had to be reflected in words, images and gestures. Ephemeral architecture, theatre, musical performance and objects such as tapestries, paintings, engravings and books were created solely to commemorate these multimedia events.
The aim of this conference is to re-create or reconstruct Renaissance and Baroque Festivals by an interdisciplinary approach. This includes the presentation of the project’s online exhibition in which the project’s investigators re-create music played in Festivals and a 3D model of the city with the reconstruction of the ephemeral architecture displayed in it.
The organisers of this two-day conference seek contributions related to any aspect of Early Modern European festivals and are especially interested in proposals which relate to the festivals of the Hispanic Habsburg dynasty. Proposals from any field of the Humanities in a broad sense are welcome, with an emphasis on, but not limited to, the visual arts, music and performing arts. Ultimately, we are interested in any study that would bring back the pageantry and senses of those magnificent events.
Some preliminary conference themes are:
- The transformation of the urban space for the festival.
- Triumphal entries in Early Modern Europe: princely courts, heroes, religion and explorers.
- Celebrations of marriages and treaties.
- Religious ceremonies and processions.
- Public executions in Europe and autos de fé.
- Funerals and commemorations of death.
- Cultural and artistic objects created for the festivals, i.e. paintings, tapestries, festival books etc.
The Keynote speaker is Prof. Fernando Checa Cremades, University Complutense of Madrid, Spain. Prof. Checa Cremades is one the most important international voices in the study of Renaissance and Golden Age art patronage in Europe. Among his many achievements, he is a former director of the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
Dr. Alexander Samson from the University College of London has confirmed his attendance. He is due to publish a book entitled: Mary Tudor and the Habsburg Marriage: England and Spain 1553 – 1557.
Submissions should include a 300 word abstract in English or Spanish and a 200 word CV, and should be emailed as an attachment to recreatingfestivals.abstract@gmail.com. The deadline for proposals is 1 April 2010. Notification of acceptance will be made before 1 May 2010.
Registration
Information about the registration will be available soon in the website: www.recreatingearlymodernfestivals.com
There will be a maximum number of delegates at this conference. A number of places have been reserved for speakers; thereafter the allocation of places will be on a first come first served basis. To register please email: recreatingfestivals.reg@gmail.com
There might be available a limited number of students’ bursaries we are in the process of confirming this, If you are interested in being considered for them please state it as soon as possible. Priority will be given to speakers.
This conference is part of the Iberia Triumphant: the reconstruction of Lisbon on the triumphal entry of Philip II of Spain in 1581 project directed by Laura Fernandez-Gonzalez, Architecture, University of Edinburgh, and funded by the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh in collaboration with the Architecture Department, University of Edinburgh.
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