DÁ FALA

AAH2017
6th to 8th April 2017
Session 39

 Women Artists and 20th-Century Authoritarian Regimes in Europe
Deadline for abstracts: 7 November

Convenors:

Márcia Oliveira, marciacoliveira@gmail.com
Maria Luísa Coelho, marialuisa.coelho@gmail.com

The European 20th century witnessed the proliferation of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, from Germany and Eastern Europe to the south of the Continent, in countries such as Italy, Spain and Portugal. Different regimes led to different social, cultural and artistic interactions, which have indelibly marked Europe’s historical background as well as its present. The main question addressed by this session is in what sense the relationship between women’s struggles in the general context of the political struggle for democracy has framed women’s art and the way women artists have placed themselves and their practices in regard to such a tense dialogue. Papers are expected to examine women’s artistic and creative practices in different dictatorial contexts, from communist and socialist to fascist regimes, enquiring about the role feminism and particularly feminist artistic practices played in oppositional and revolutionary processes by addressing issues such as, but not limited to, censorship, civil rights and class struggle, the economy of desire, consumption, family, gender and sexuality, identity and representation. 
Points of debate may include: Have different struggles for democracy integrated women’s rights or have they otherwise neglected them? How have women artists placed themselves within these revolutionary processes in terms of political engagement and in terms of their artistic and creative output? Was there room for feminism and for feminist art in such ideological circuits? Transnational or comparative approaches are welcomed and encouraged.

webpage: http://aah.org.uk/annual-conference/sessions2017