Nachrichten und Veranstaltungen

Workshop: South India between the 4th and the 6th century CE: We wish to apprehend this period in a comparative perspective, in order to put into context the specific situation of the Tamil-speaking South, as opposed to Central and North India, as well as Sri Lanka. Our approach will be multidisciplinary, combining history, art history, epigraphy, numismatics and archaeology. Possibility to attend the conferences online through pre-registration. Send your request by 19 October 2023 (9 am) at ariane.desaxce@dainst.de

Publich lecture by Dorothée Kreuzer: The spate of recent publications on late 15th century Timurid book art opens up critical space for reconsidering the conventional text-image relationship approach. A close reading of the sumptuous three double page opening sequence of the Cairo Bustan reveals the illumination program of the manuscript not only as meta-commentary to Sa’di’s text but emerges as literally pre- and pro-scriptive: showing what precedes words and a guidance to how to read the following text. Taking my cue from the unpublished double-page spread placed between the famous frontispiece and the gateway to the written text or incipit, the issue of beauty appears as the non-trivial steppingstone en route to the ineffable. Very much like the Platonic agalma as launch pad to the higher good, the intricate montage of the figures of goose and phoenix draws the reader’s attention to processes of understanding.

In Kooperation mit der ANDHERI HILFE e.V. und der Bonner Filmfair: Filmvorführung und Diskussion mit Maja Meiners (Regisseurin), Dr. Heike Kluve (ANDHERI HILFE) und Dr. des. Sandra J. Schlage (AIK, Uni Bonn): "BREAKING BARRIERS: The Casteless Collective": The Casteless Collective is a protest music band from Chennai, South India, playing an exciting mix of folk music and Gaana art coming from North Chennai’s slum area, combined with modern musical styles of rap and rock. The songs are dealing with diverse social issues pertaining to people from underprivileged and marginalised backgrounds, as represented by the band members themselves. The film shows the young band’s powerful attempt to break cultural stigmas and joins their journey towards an Indian future of casteless mentality and reality. Im Anschluss an die Filmvorführung (Englisch) findet eine interaktive Panel Diskussi-on (Deutsch/Englisch) statt.

Art Nouveau’s style and ideology were developed as an answer to the need for a new approach to art and design at the end of the nineteenth century. At the backbone of this development was Japanese art (and Japonisme), which provided a major inspiration to the art and design world of the time. However, the popularity and global development of the movement in its turn provided a new impetus to the art and design worlds of its land of origin, which was struggling with similar problems. In Japan, Art Nouveau encouraged artists to transcend art and design genres, and to re-evaluate traditional crafts and designs, activities that can be said to be the starting point of modern Japanese craft design. This lecture will provide an introduction to Japanese Art Nouveau. It will introduce some representative artists, and will focus on the development of the movement in the medium kimono in specific.

Public lecture by Dr. des. Sandra J. Schlage: "Travelling Images: Some Observations on Angkor Sculptures and the Cultural Exchange between South- and Southeast Asia.": Visiting the ancient temples of the Angkor Empire in Cambodia is a unique experience for anyone familiar with (South-)Indian art. Although, many mytho-logical scenes and deities of the Hindu/Buddhist pantheon can be easily identified, they display individual traits and decorative designs which are unique to Khmer art. What can these sculptures tell us about the cultural exchange between India and Mainland Southeast Asia? What can we find out about the creative process of the artists? I am going to share my thoughts about these questions based on an analysis of my favourite motifs, (re-)discovered during our Cambodia excursion in summer 2023.

"The Vienna World's Fair of 1873 and the Beginnings of Chinese Art History": Public lecture by Prof. Dr. Lukas Nickel: The World’s Fair in Vienna of 1873 was the largest and most ambitious of the early World’s Fairs. The organisers went out of their way to include states that had been underrepresented in London and Paris. China was among the countries that had their first formal presentation at the international exhibition. The Chinese pavilion became the most comprehensive show products of Chinese nature, industry and art until then. As it came at a time when museums across Europe began establishing East Asian collections, it arguably shaped the European understanding of Chinese material culture of the late 19th century. During the talk we will trace the process of how the show came into being, characterise its displays, and discuss the impact it had on the field of art history both in Europe and in China.

Im kommenden Sommersemester veranstaltet die Abteilung für Asiatische und Islamische Kunstgeschichte vom 21. bis 25. Mai 2024 die Exkursion "Asien in London entdecken". Der geplante Schwerpunkt der Exkursion liegt auf Kunst und Architektur mit Asienbezug. Am Mittwoch, den 14. Februar 2024, bieten wir um 11.00 Uhr eine Informationsveranstaltung im Seminarraum der AIK (Adenauerallee 10, EG.) an. Themen der Veranstaltung sind der Exkursionsablauf, Kosten und Finanzierung, Anrechnung, sowie Teilnahmevoraussetzungen.

Public lecture by Prof. Dr. Julia A. B. Hegewald: The Jaina religion originates in East India in about the sixth century BCE. It reached the South Indian State of Karnataka in about the second century CE. From the fifth century CE onwards, Jainism appears to have risen steadily to a position of supremacy in the region. The hegemony of the Jainas and their control of all areas of life throughout Karnataka was especially pronounced from the eighth to eleventh centuries CE. However, from the twelfth century, the influence diminished rapidly and the Jaina community ended up in a position of severe asymmetrical dependency. This presentation will focus on the reasons for the initial rise and the subsequent irreversible decline of the Jainas in the State. Causes are to be found in religious, social, political and economic areas.