Drawing the Line Against AIDS Conference 4-5 February 2010 The University of Adelaide, Australia
Paper abstracts are sought for 'Drawing the Line Against AIDS', an interdisciplinary and international conference concerning the history and impact of cultural production surrounding HIV/AIDS.
Conference ThemesThe conference will explore the past, present, and future of AIDS art, AIDS activism and AIDS prevention, and the connections between them. In a series of keynote presentations, artist talks, panels and a culminating roundtable, Drawing the Line Against AIDS will examine the often productive, sometimes uneasy relationships between art inspired by AIDS and HIV/AIDS prevention.
Prospective participants are invited to prepare a presentation that addresses one of the following themes:
- 'AIDS art' in the service of health promotion/public health - Art as activism - The art or graphic design of AIDS prevention campaigns - Art as individually empowering vs. art as a force for social justice and change - 'AIDS art' and trauma - The impact of AIDS on the history of 20th-century art - The impact of AIDS on the visual arts community - Representations of race, gender and ethnicity in AIDS-related art - Photography and AIDS - 'AIDS art' as an instrument of gay liberation - AIDS-related art produced by HIV-negative artists - The role of galleries and arts administrators in promoting AIDS-related art/artists - Changing cultural representations of people with AIDS - 'AIDS art' exhibitions (e.g. 'Witnesses: Against Our Vanishing') remembered - The legacy of visual artists lost to AIDS
or the following questions:
- What part have AIDS-inspired artists played in stimulating political change? - Is there a continuing disjuncture between 'militant' art and work that expresses grief and loss? - How do younger artists engage with the legacy of 'AIDS art' and activism? - Have the collaborations between artists, activists and health promoters been successful? - How do we define effectiveness in cultural production-based prevention? - Has cultural production changed post-HAART? - How did AIDS change the Visual Arts (and the history of Visual Art)? - Is there an 'AIDS Art' movement outside the United States of America? - Is 'AIDS art' beyond criticism? - What threats remain and what work still needs to be done?
Drawing the Line Against AIDS is a follow-up event to AIDS/ART/WORK, a conference that was held in New York City on 30 May 2008. That event attracted an audience of over 100 people, consisting of academics, students, AIDS service-provision workers, health promotion workers, activists, and people living with HIV/AIDS. Further details about AIDS/ART/WORK, and the papers that were delivered, can be found at: http://www.thebody.com/visualaids/australia/conference.html
Long and Short PapersThe conference will consist of a 'long paper' stream consisting of longer, pre-circulated papers (with a presentation time of 30-40 minutes), and a 'short paper' stream of 20-minute papers (which need not be circulated prior to the conference). Acceptance to the long paper stream will be competitive and authors will be required to submit a 3,500-6,000 word version of their paper prior to the conference for circulation among the registered participants. These papers will be considered for publication. All presenters are required to submit paper proposals before1 December 2009.
Submission of Paper Proposals:Please prepare a 250-word abstract of your paper and identify which stream you wish to enter. Please also provide the following: - Equipment requirements (i.e. PowerPoint, data projector etc.) - Contact details of the presenter (including title, full name, current position, email, telephone and fax); and - A brief (100-word) 'biography' of the presenter.
Key Dates- Deadline for the submission of paper abstracts - 1 December 2009 - Notification of accepted papers - 15 December 2009 - Deadline for the submission of 'long papers' (for circulation prior to the conference) ? 10 January 2010
Those living outside of Australia can request expedited review of their abstracts in order to assist with their travel and possible leave arrangements. Registration and Keynote Speakers Information about the conference keynote speakers and how to register for Drawing the Line Against AIDS will be posted shortly.
