CALL FOR PAPERS: MOVING MOUNTAINS – STUDIES IN PLACE,
SOCIETY AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATION

February 5, 2014

University of Edinburgh

History of Art and ESALA

18-20 June 2014

Visit the Moving Mountains website here

Mountains have been considered embodiments of higher
spiritual goals and peak experiences since ancient times. By viewing mountains,
climbing and experiencing changing atmospheres, people have undergone physical
and spiritual quests, the character of which varies depending on the motivation
and identity of the participant(s). The consistent presence of mountains in
legends, myths, literature, artistic and architectural creations suggests their
cultural, religious and social significance. Additionally, mountains and their
surrounding landscape have been the focus of cartographic and scientific work,
mountaineering expeditions and other kinds of explorations.

In order to more fully understand the role of mountains in culture
and society, the History of Art Department at the University of Edinburgh and
the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture are hosting an
inter-disciplinary conference and an exhibition of practice-based material. We
invite abstracts of no more than 300 words addressing questions and proposing
works relevant to the role of mountains in the humanities, arts and design. As
this is intended to be a highly interdisciplinary conference, we welcome
submissions from a wide range of subject areas, which include art history,
architecture, anthropology, cultural studies, film studies geography,
literature, theology and philosophy, among others.

Topics may include but are not limited to:

– The integration of mountains into architectural design and
artistic creations

– City and mountains

– Mountain landscapes, caves and paths

– The impact of mountains on religious practices

– Memory and mountains

– Studies of Mountain communities

– Cultural representations of mountains (cartography, iconography,
photography)

– ‘Peak’ Experiences and Mountain Views

– Atmosphere and the aura of mountains

– Religious experiences and mountains

Confirmed keynote speakers include: Professor Veronica della
Dora of the University of London, Professor Tim Ingold of the University of
Aberdeen and Eamonn O’Carragain of the University College Cork.

Please email abstracts to movingmountainsconference@gmail.com
by 28 February 2014. Abstracts will be reviewed by an academic committee and we
hope to publish selected papers from this conference.

Please email any further inquiries to
movingmountainsconference@gmail.com, or you can contact the conference organisers,
Emily Goetsch and Christos Kakalis directly at ebgoetsch@gmail.com and
xpkakalis@hotmail.com.