As part of the Questions de Recherche seminar, jointly organized by the Department of German Language and Literature and the Department of Roman Languages and Literatures, Prof. Silvia Naef and Joan Grandjean (Arabic Studies Section - Department of Mediterranean, Slavonic and Oriental Studies) will give a conference entitled: "A History of Art to be made: The Collections of Modern Arab Art at the United Nations Office in Geneva", next Thursday 16 December 2021 from 12am to 2pm.

 

The collections of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) and its related international agencies consist of a collection of items donated first to the United Nations Society and then to UNOG by its member states, foundations, and private donors between 1920 and today. In addition to transcending cultures and epochs, these works have both aesthetic and symbolic value. Chosen by the donor, they reflect aspects of culture that s/he wishes to highlight in the various international organizations based in Geneva. The purpose of this conference is to examine a specific category of these gifts, namely those of modern art made by the states of the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa), in order to question the relationship and influence of art history and international relations disciplines.

 

Access is free and anyone interested is welcome, even without having attended the introductory session.