CIHA 2012 in Nuremberg
33rd Congress of the International Committeeof the History of Art, July 15th -20th 2012

The Sections of the Congress
Section 1
Questioning the Object of Art History

Section 15
Charged Sites

Section 2
The Concept of the “Original” asHermeneutical Problem

Section 16
The Gendered Object

Section 3
On Religions and their Objectivations as seenfrom Intercultural Perspectives
Section 4
The Object as Subject
Section 5
Musealization of Objects: Art History versus
Cultural History?
Section 6
World Heritage: Cultural Identity and the War
against Works of Art
Section 7
Spoils: Viewing Others – The View of OthersSection 8
The Archeology of the Tangible Object: Recognizing
the Technological Image versus Connoisseurship
Section 9
Objects on the Move: Histories of Provenanceand Preservation
Section 10
Cultural Clearings: The Object Transformedby the Art Market

Section 17
The Making and Unmaking of the Object
Section 18
The Absence of the Object and the Void
Section 19
Restitution
Section 20
Architecture as Object
Section 21
CIHA as the Object of Art History

Contact
E-Mail:info@ciha2012.deTelefax:

0049-(0)911-1331 210

Postal adress: CIHA 2012
c/o Germanisches Nationalmuseum
Kornmarkt 1D-90402 Nürnberg
Deutschland
If you have questions, please contact the Administration
Office of the CIHA 2012 in Nuremberg.

Section 11
The Artefact and its Representations
Section 12
Beyond the Aura
Section 13
The Multiple Art Work
Section 14
Dürer’s Life and Work – The Object as a Key
to the Subject?

33rd Congress of the International Committee of the Historyof Art CIHA 2012 is supported by

The Challenge of the Object

Die Herausforderung des Objekts

The Challenge of the Object
Die Herausforderung des Objekts
The Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremburg ishost to the 33rd Congress of the International Committee of the History of Art (CIHA 2012) in Nuremberg. Itis the first time since 1873 that a museum has takenon this task. The theme of the congress is "The Challenge of the Object / Die Herausforderung des Objekts". The object and how it is perceived in art history
is a question that is currently very highly charged, theresult of increasing globalization and digitalization. Artand cultural historians from all over the world, from avast cross-section of disciplines and fields of professional interest, are called upon to discuss together therole and the theory of the object in art history.
The focus of the congress is the notion of the objectas the material subject of research, but also thesubject of the discipline in a broader sense. The approach to the concrete object, whether it be a building,a painting, a sculpture, a crafted artifact, whether aritual object, a collected piece or an item of daily use,is the point of departure and the yardstick for art
historical research.
The object in its
specific materiality, its
historical context, its
history and theory willbe the central issue ofthe conference and itssections. The various
methods influencing
former and future approaches to the object
will also be debated.
Diverging ways oftreating and evaluating
objects as carriers ofcultural content will be
addressed from a
global perspective.

Particular significance is accorded the question as tothe "original" material object in the light of ephemeralart forms and against the backdrop of increasing digitalization. How do these change our perception of theobject and the treatment of the "original"? Is it still possible to make the object tangible? The CIHA 2012 congress wishes to encourage reflection on the categories
and limitations of art history. Thus the individual sections do not delineate boundaries between genres anddisciplines; instead they are there to merge together
contributions from different cultural spheres and fieldsof discourse.
Art history has been confronted with the task ofglobalization. Art historians concerned with Islamic,African, Asian or Central and South American art now
rarely find themselves in contact with the "classical"
art historians, who are oriented towards "Western"
art. We would expressly like to encourage art andcultural historians from non-European research areas
to join us in this work.
We would like to see
presentations
that,going beyond the individual object, propose
fundamental, new approaches to the theoretical treatment of theissue of the "object",
methods of art history
as well as approacheswith a global perspective.
Call for Papers
requestedby April 30th, 2011
deadline

A special program for postgraduates will be offeredunder the motto "Get in Touch – Objects, Places,People". It consists of a poster section with shortpresentations of prize-winning posters and the excursion program "Tours and Talks". Applications forposters and postgraduate grants may be made asof the summer of 2011. All information can be foundunder www.ciha2012.de/en/call-for-papers.
Those not holding papers may also register as participants in the congress as of November 2011;
please use the homepage www.ciha.2012.de forthis.
We would be very pleased to welcome you inNuremberg to the 33rd Congress of the International
Committee of the History of Art (CIHA) in July 2012.
Jaynie Anderson (CIHA), Melbourne
Georg Satzinger (VDK), BonnG. Ulrich Grossmann (GNM), Nuremberg

Detailed informationon the congress andits sections, the application forms (Callfor Papers) and thepossibility of grants
can be found on thehomepagewww.ciha2012.de.