The ifk Summer Academy 2024 will offer time and space for both academic and artistic research. It will approach the topic of non-aligned movements from (1) a historical and political perspective by sounding out the decolonial non-aligned movement of the postwar period and (2) by reflecting on non- alignment as artistic and epistemic strategy.
Date: 2 –11 September 2024 Place: Brijuni, Croatia
We will meet on the island of Brijuni (Croatia) – the place where Josip Broz Tito met with diplomats and politicians of the non-aligned movement (»block-freie Staaten«) from all over the world in the 1950s and 1960s. A museum on the island documents these meetings; and animals gifted during these meetings can still be found in Brijuni’s zoo. But Brijuni can draw on an even deeper history of navigating political spheres: It bears architectural remains from the late Roman empire, from the Byzantine period, from the Austro-Hungarian Empire all the way up to socialist Yugoslavia of the 20th century. Further-more, it is a site of varying cultural value: From its agriculture uses, its military and scientific uses and even its artistic relevance and status as a tourist destination, human beings have continuously shaped the face of the island. The intersection of nature and culture in the Brijuni archipelago is also unique and opens up space for artistic exploration (the underwater world with its roman ruins and distinct fauna, the unique flora and fauna on the islands themselves, its history of malaria , etc.).
The summer academy will offer the possibility to work on individual PhD-projects, while also encouraging participants to work collectively and to exchange research methods from within the humanities (Kulturwissenschaften) and artistic research practices.
FACULTY: Goran Sergej and Nikolina Pristaš (Zagreb: dance, dramaturgy); Karmen Franinovic and Roman Kirschner (Zurich/Vienna: artistic research, media art, design), Natan Sznaider (Tel Aviv: sociology, memory politics), Tim Ingold (Aberdeen: anthropology), Monika Wulz (Zurich: history and philosophy of science)
PARTICIPANTS: Young academics and artists with a background in the humanities who are particularly interested in cultural studies. Austrian applicants or those working at Austrian academic institutions are particularly encouraged to apply.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 26 February until 28 April 2024
The program includes accommodation, meals (excluding drinks) and the access to a range of work materials. Travelling to and from Brijuni must be covered by the participants themselves.
Online Application HERE (Deadline: 28. April 2024).