Recent news from the CVC and its members
The CVC and its members are consistently working on new projects, speaking at events and developing research ideas. From podcasts to exhibitions, announcements to funding grants, seminars to workshops, see below for the most recent news from us at the Centre for Visual Cultures.
CVC & RCA PGR TRAINING WORKSHOP
Thursday 23rd May, 2024
This is the second year running that the CVC and the Royal College of Art have co-organised a workshop for postgraduate researchers. There were four fascinating presentations and a rich discussion afterward. The researchers and their projects this year were:
Viveca Mellegard (Royal Holloway, University of London and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) - 'Visualising the revival of indigo dyeing in West Bengal: Embodying a postcolonial research practice through collaboration, collections and the fermentation vat'
Hotessa Laurence (Royal College of Art) - 'Syntheses of Time: Translating an Animation Practice to the Making of Wordless Picturebooks for Children'
Selene Genovesi (University of Kent and RHUL Centre for Visual Cultures) - 'The Nature of the fight: an ecocritical reading of antifascist resistance in Italian and Spanish novels'
Carl Jones (Royal College of Art) - 'Decolonising Mexican advertising: Practical strategies for challenging colonial thinking and practices in publicity campaigns to resist the racist spectacle'
WORDS AND WORLDS SYMPOSIUM
Friday 22nd March, 2024
The Words and Worlds symposium explored the possibilities of language as an intermediary between humans, plants, animals, and other nonhuman beings. This event responded to the themes of the Words from the Wild exhibition, which was on display at the Emily Wilding Davison Exhibition Space. Professor Simon Morris (Leeds School of Art; Inscription Journal) was the keynote speaker.
Find out more about the exhibition and symposium here
ERIC ROBERTSON AT ICRA
Tuesday 5th December, 2023
Prof Eric Robertson spoke at 'On Paper', the annual conference of the International Catalogue Raisonné Association. He presented on the collage works of Hans Arp in the panel 'Pushing the Boundaries of Paper: Radical Approaches'. You can watch a recording of the event here
DAVID VILASECA MEMORIAL LECTURE
Tuesday 14th November, 2023
The thirteenth anniversary David Vilaseca Memorial Lecture entitled “Embracing sound in the ‘Basque New Wave’’' was delivered by Sarah Wright, Professor of Hispanic Studies in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Royal Holloway. She was introduced by Professor Giuliana Pieri, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor (International) and Execuctive Dean (School of Humanities), Royal Holloway. The Respondent was Jo Evans, Professor Emeritus, University College London.
A recording of the lecture is available to watch on YouTube.
HONORARY RESEARCH ASSOCIATESHIPS RENEWED
Tuesday 18 July, 2023
The CVC is delighted that both Dr Judith Meddick and Dr Anissa Talahaite-Moodley have had their respective Honorary Research Associateships renewed for the next three years.
To read more about Judith and Anissa's work, head to the CVC People page.
DR HARRIET O'NEIL
Thursday 1 June, 2023
It is with deep sadness that the CVC learned of Dr Harriet O'Neil's passing early this year. With the rest of the Royal Holloway community, the CVC offers its sincerest condolences to Harriet's family, friends and loved ones in this difficult time.
To read the full statement from Royal Holloway, please see here.
JAMES KENT AT THE SUMMER EXHIBITION
Wednesday 24 May, 2023
Two photographs from James Kent's Cuba series "¡No hay más na’!" (there’s northing left) have been shortlisted for this year’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. The theme of this year's exhibition, coordinated by celebrated British painter David Remfry RA, is ‘Only Connect’, which resonated with James because of his recent experience photographing Cuba in the depths of its worst socio-economic crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Read more about the photographs James has submitted here.
CVC x RCA PGR TRAINING WORKSHOP (2)
Thursday 1 June, 2023
This is the second workshop of a two-part series where the RHUL Centre for Visual Cultures and the Royal College of Art have collaborated to create workshops for their respective PGRs to present and receive feedback on their work in a friendly and constructive environment. There will be four PGRs presenting their research in 10-12 minute slots, followed by a Q+A. The Q+A will give all participants and attendees a valuable opportunity to develop professional skills in engaged critical debate and dialogue.
TEXTUAL POROSITY: EXHIBITION
30 May - 11 June, 2023
For the first time in Hampton Court village, Caroline Harris, Briony Hughes and Astra Papachristodoulou come together in a captivating group show that explores the tactility of language. The exhibition showcases innovative approaches to three-dimensional visual poetry and utilising found and ecological materials, and will be accompanied by a limited edition exhibition catalogue published by Poem Atlas. A celebratory launch event will take place on Friday 2nd June (6pm), and will feature readings from Caroline Harris, Briony Hughes and Astra Papachristodoulou. Free entrance for all. See here for more information.
The event has been made possible with the the support of the University of Surrey and Royal Holloway, University of London
THE LANGUAGE OF FAKE NEWS: CONFERENCE
Tuesday 16th May, 2023
This hybrid event focussed on the linguistic evolution of fake news from the dawn of journalism to today. It offered insights on the dissemination and reception of fake news by addressing an important - yet overlooked - research question: what role does language play in the production and proliferation of fake news?
This conference was co-organised by Dr Carlotta Paltinieri and is partially funded by the Centre for Visual Cultures. For more information, see here.
JULES O'DWYER ON CINEMA'S HOTELS: FROM POSTCOLONIAL HOSPITALITY TO THE PARIS SYNDROME
Wednesday 26 April, 2023
From the Chateau Marmont to Marienbad, the Bates Motel to the Overlook Hotel, the hotels we encounter in the cinema serve as much more than the mute backdrop against which a film’s action transpires. Rather, hotel spaces actively scaffold the formal, aesthetic, and narrative possibilities of cinema. In this talk, which is drawn from a short book project tentatively titled, Cinema’s Hotels, Jules explores the entwined relationship between the hotel and the cinema.
KITTY MARYATT TALK AND WORKSHOP TOUR
Thursday 23 March, 2023
In this talk, Kitty Maryatt discussed the 'nearly extinct' technique of pochoir, its history and utilisation in art before explaining her project re-creating the 1913 La Prose du Transsibérien with original pochoir and letterpress and consequently demonstrating pochoir in real-time.
CVCxRCA PGR MARCH TRAINING WORKSHOP
Wednesday 8 March, 2023
This workshop was an opportunity for PGRs from the RHUL Centre for Visual Cultures and the Royal College of Art to present their research, try out some ideas for a conference paper, and benefit from immediate feedback and discussion with other doctoral researchers and colleagues. This is the first part of a two-part series where the RHUL Centre for Visual Cultures and the Royal College of Art have collaborated to create workshops for their respective PGRs to present and receive feedback on their work in a friendly and constructive environment.
In this session, the presenters were: Charlotte Lengersdorf (School of Communication, Royal College of Art), Gareth Hughes (Comparative Literatures and Cultures, Centre for Visual Cultures, Royal Holloway, University of London), Yuan Yu Chen Feng (School of Communication, Royal College of Art) and Anna Price (English and History, Centre for Visual Cultures, Royal Holloway, University of London).
SPRING NEWSLETTER
Tuesday 7 March, 2023
Our Spring newsletter landed early in March and contains all updates on recent and upcoming events, including the 2022 David Vilaseca Memorial Lecture, Alessandra Ferrini's talk 'Italy-Libya: From Genocide to Diplomatic "Friendship"' as well as the CVC x RCA PGR Training Panel, a Photography Workshop with Simon Roberts and an talk by Kitty Maryatt on Traditional Pochoir Techniques. For more exciting updates from our members, see the newsletter itself here!
ENGAGED VISUALITY: SYMPOSIUM
Wednesday 15 June, 2022
CVC member Giuliana Pieri is on the Scientific Committee of a symposium happening 7-8 July 2022 in Rome.
Engaged Visuality investigates the impact of new media, political imagery, and semiotics on poesia visiva phenomenon by focusing on a bilateral case study rarely analyzed from a comparative and transcultural perspective: the foundation of the international poetry magazine Lotta Poetica (first series: 1971-75) by Sarenco and Paul De Vree, i.e., the aim of Italian and Belgian interartistic exchanges, co-authored initiatives, and cross-disciplinary inquiries.
For more information, see here.
PLAY ADAPTATION OF DAVID VILASECA'S BOOK
Monday 6th June, 2022
Foto cartell Els homes i els dies © Jordi Play
An adaptation David Vilaseca's book Els Homes i els Dies recently played at the Teatro Nacional de Catalunya from 21st April - 29th May. David's sister, Marta, has translated three reviews of the play which can be read here.
For information on the production itself, visit the theatre website, here.
NEW PUBLICATION FROM ERIC ROBERTSON
Friday 20th May, 2022
Blaise Cendrars: The Invention of Life, by Eric Robertson, London: Reaktion Books, 2022, 328 pages 40 illustrations, 8 in colour.
In 1912 the young Frédéric-Louis Sauser arrived in France, carrying an experimental poem and a new identity: Blaise Cendrars was born. Over the next half-century, Cendrars wrote innovative poems, novels, essays, film scripts and autobiographical prose. His ground-breaking books and collaborations with artists such as Sonia Delaunay and Fernand Léger remain astonishingly modern today. Cendrars’s writings reflect his insatiable curiosity, his vast knowledge, which was largely self-taught, and his love of everyday life.
In this new account Eric Robertson examines Cendrars’s work against a turbulent historical background and reassesses his contribution to twentieth-century literature. Cendrars is as relevant today as ever before and deserves a wider readership in the English-speaking world.
Full details on the publisher's website: http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781789145205
The book is distributed in North America by the University of Chicago Press: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/B/bo157942587.html
MARTINA BORGHI TALKS AT THE CVC
Thursday 18th May, 2022
On Thursday 18th May, the CVC was delighted to welcome doctoral researcher, Martina Borghi, to speak on the 'experimentations' of the Italian Programmed and Kinetic Art Groups. Martina outlined the main features of this movement which heralded significant innovations and the slides for her presentation can be found here.
THE CVC PODCAST
Monday 16th May, 2022
The CVC is excited to announce our new podcast: (un)touched. Centring on the theme of touch, tangibility and intangibility in the world of art and visual culture, CVC doctoral students will be talking to curators and gallerists as well as drawing on the research expertise of the centre as a whole to delve into questions about engaging and interacting with visual culture.
Stay tuned for our first episode launching soon!
NEW EXHIBIT: Kalila wa Dimna
Thursday 12th May, 2022
CVC member, Dr Rachel Scott, has collaborated on an art exhibition and public programme inspired by the global journeys of an ancient collection of moral fables across time and place, language, religion and culture.
Kalila wa Dimna: Ancient Tales for Troubled Times approaches storytelling through various artistic mediums, aiming to widen access to and engagement with the arts within diverse and often marginalised communities while promoting cross-cultural understanding.
The exhibit and artistic program has developed out of the work of Language Acts and Worldmaking, a flagship project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Open World Research Initiative. It is principally supported by The National Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and Language Acts and Worldmaking. The exhibition is hosted by the P21 Gallery.
For more information and to book to attend workshops, talks and seminars, visit the project website: here.
ERIC ROBERTSON TALKS AT THE COURTAULD RESEARCH FORUM
Monday 7th February, 2022
Professor Eric Robertson has recently been invited by the Courtauld Institute to talk on the writer Blaise Cendrars. In focussing on Cendrars’s collaborations with artists Sonia Delaunay and Fernand Léger and in analysing some key examples, this illustrated talk explored some of the most significant ways in which the visual arts shaped Cendrars’s oeuvre.
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