Life is Serious; Art Serene: architectural-scenic research

PROGRAM OF THE CONFERENCE

BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

Biennial of Scene Design 2024

Sub-department of Art and Design
Department of Architecture and Urbanism
Faculty of Technical Sciences
University of Novi Sad

International Scientific and Professional Conference

Life is Serious; Art Serene:
Architectural-Scenic Research

October 23-25, 2024

In conclusion of the essay Atmosphere as the Subject Matter of Architecture [1], German philosopher Gernot Böhme [2] examines the relationship between architecture and scene design. He states that unlike architects, scenographers have always been aware that creating the atmosphere of a space is their goal. On the other hand, architects, viewing scenographers as their “younger brothers” or “frivolous disciples of their own art,” still hesitate to engage in a more emotional relationship with space. Does this fear stem from the thought that architecture could completely disappear in the “postmodern art of staging,” Böhme wonders; and then answers: “life is serious; art serene” and this fact will forever represent a clear boundary between architecture and scenography and will not allow the merging of the two areas. “Architecture does not build for the sake of the engaged or detached spectator watching a play, but rather for people who experience, in spaces, the seriousness of life.”

Starting from this very concrete distinction that Böhme establishes, we want to further examine the relationship between two closely related arts such as architecture and scene design within the framework of the conference. Is the boundary between them so rigid and does it truly disallow crossings? Does not the context of contemporary art precisely advocate for “mixed” marriages between architecture and scene design, as well as different forms of art? Does contemporary architecture of spectacle have any connections to the seriousness of everyday life? On the other hand, hasn’t contemporary art been exempted from the field of responsibility by neoliberal decree? Is there a boundary between art and life, should it be set? Has modern art succeeded in its project in this regard? Where is art today in relation to life? Are boundaries like these important to us at all? Are we serene or serious? As architects, scenographers, artists, do we ask ourselves such questions?

Through the conference, we aim to open a dialogue on all the aforementioned questions, to deepen and expand them, aware of the professional and moral complexities into which we are delving. That’s precisely why the conference extends its invitation not only to architects and artists but also to scientists, theorists, and researchers – sociologists, philosophers, anthropologists, psychologists – anyone who wishes and can contribute to the complex array of questions and problems that Böhme has presented before us.

[1] Böhme, Gernot: Atmosphere as the Subject Matter of Architecture, in the book Ursprung, Philip: Herzog & de Meuron: Natural History, Canadian Centre for Architecture and Lars Müller Publishers, 2002.
[2] Gernot Böhme is a German philosopher, and author of the books: Atmospheric Architectures: The Aesthetics of Felt Space (2017), Critique of Aesthetic Capitalism (2017), The Aesthetics of Atmospheres (2016), Architectural Atmospheres: On the Experience and Politics of Architecture (2014), etc.

KEYNOTE LECTURERS

Barbora Příhodová, Ph.D., (she/her) is the Artistic Director of the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space. She is a theater historian with a specialization in performance design/scenography. Her practice encompasses curatorial, research, and editing projects. She holds a PhD in Theatre Studies and an M.A. in English from Masaryk University, Czech Republic. Her research and curatorial projects have been recognized by the Fulbright Research Scholarship, Mellon Fellowship, and New York Public Library Research Fellowship. She was the curator of PQ Talks 2019 and 2023.

Nataša Govedić, Ph.D., is a writer, poet, critic, Croatian theatre and film scholar who regularly contributes to the fields of performance studies, affective studies, adaptation studies, Shakespeare studies, feminism, feminist ethics, and communal theatre. She is employed as a full-time lecturer at the Academy for Dramatic Art (Zagreb), while she also works as editor-in-chief of the feminist academic journal TRECA, a regular theatre critic in the daily newspaper NOVI LIST, guest-lecturer at Peace Studies Zagreb and guest-lecturer at Faculty of Teacher Education, etc. So far she has published fifteen scholarly books on theater and performance (most recent are Style for a Style: Transgressive Methodology of Adaptation, 2021, and Oscar Wilde Walks Out of the Prison House or Your Favorite Art is Called Criticism, 2022). As a professional writer, she also published acclaimed novels and several books on poetry. She is also active as a theatre dramaturg and/or performer.

Radivoje Dinulović (PhD, Arch) is professor of Scene Architecture & Design and at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia. He was professor at the Faculty of Drama Arts in Belgrade, founder and director of Interdisciplinary MA and DA Studies in Scene Design at the University of Arts in Belgrade and visiting professor in Banjaluka (Bosnia & Herzegovina) and Skopje (Macedonia). He lectured, realised or exhibited architectural and scene design projects throughout Europe, in Russia, China and United States, including the Venice Biennial in architecture and in theatre, and Prague Quadrennial of Performing Design and Space, where his students received international awards. At the PQ, he curated National exhibition in 2007 and was a member of the international Jury in 2015. He published books “20th Century Theatre Architecture” (Clio, 2009) and “Theatre – Politics – City” (with A. Brkić, Yustat, 2007), as well as great number of articles in leading national and international magazines.

CONFERENCE THEMATIC AREAS

The primary theme of the conference is focused on exploring the boundaries between (scene) architecture and scene design. The fundamental questions we seek to answer are whether architecture solely constructs the framework of real life, or whether scene design simply imagines some other, artistic reality. Or perhaps it is a problem of reality itself. Can reality be so easily divided into what is real and what is fiction? We live in a world that is uncannily real and terribly fictional, and this ambivalence is the second major theme we address within the conference. In addition to professional perspectives, we also expect responses that consider the conference theme within a broader socio-historical and cultural context.

Given the structure of the conference theme, accepted papers will be categorized into three thematic areas:

• (Scene) Architecture,
• Scene Design,
• Theoretical Discourses.

We expect submissions from various fields, as well as topics related to the following or similar domains:

• Event space,
• Architectural space,
• Liminal / in-between spaces,
• Performativity of space,
• Spatial narratives,
• Dramaturgy of space,
• Architecture of spectacle,
• Technologies of spectacle,
• Expanded scenography,
• Artistic practices of scene design (performative installation, spatial installation, site-specific…),
• Contemporary curatorial practices,
• Contemporary exhibition practices,
• City as a stage,
• Artistic vs. quotidian,
• Society of spectacle,
• Virtualization of reality,
• Virtual reality,
• New technologies and their impact in scene design and architecture…

PARTICIPATION FORMATS 

• Abstract,
• Scientific/Professional Paper,
• Poster (presentation of a scientific or artistic-professional work).

Template for the Abstract, you can find here. 

Template for the Full Paper, you can find here.

Template for the Poster, you can find here. 

Each time you submit an abstract, paper, or poster you must also submit STATEMENT OF THE AUTHOR(S).

THE WORKING LANGUAGE OF THE CONFERENCE IS ENGLISH. 

IMPORTANT DATES

Submission of abstracts and posters / June 30, 2024 / September 15, 2024
Acceptance of abstracts and posters / July 15, 2024 / September 25, 2024
Registration and payment / September 30, 2024
Publication of electronic edition of the book of abstracts / October 15, 2024
Conference: October 23-25, 2024
Submission of full papers / November 15, 2024
Acceptance of full papers / December 10, 2024
The electronic edition of conference proceedings / December 30, 2024

REGISTRATION AND PAYMENTS

* All participants must send confirmation of payment of the registration fee to the email: conference@bisd.rs Additionally, PhD students must send proof of their student status.

The Conference registration fee covers:

• Conference kit,
• Digital conference proceedings (with ISBN),
• Attendance at keynote lectures,
• Attendance at conference sessions,
• Coffee breaks,
• Attendance certificate.

At least one of the authors must register and pay his or her fee to have the paper included in the Programme of the Conference and the Proceedings. 

Each participant who plans to attend the conference in person must be registered and must pay the conference fee.

The conference fee is not refundable. However, if you decide to cancel your participation in the conference, please inform us about it.

If you want to register, please fill in REGISTRATION FORM.

For fee payment in RSD, please follow these instructions:

broj računa: 840-1710666-12 Fakultet tehničkih nauka Novi Sad,
poziv na broj: 97 9403403311

For fee payment in EUR, please follow these instructions.

For fee payment in USD, please follow these instructions.

If you need proforma invoice, please contact us at conference@bisd.rs (Ukoliko vam je potrebna faktura za plaćanje kotizacije, molimo vas pišite nam na conference@bisd.rs)

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at conference@bisd.rs

CONFERENCE COMMITTEES

Scientific and Expert Committee:
dr Barbora Příhodová, Adjunct Professor, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, USA
dr Nataša Govedić, Associate Professor, University of Zagreb, Croatia
dr Sodja Zupanc Lotker, Assistant Professor, University of Prague, Czech Republic
dr Tessa Rixon, Senior Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
dr Aleksandar Brkić, Senior Lecturer, University of London, Goldsmiths, United Kingdom
dr Andrej Mirčev, Professor, Berlin University of the Arts, Germany
dr Matko Botić, Lecturer, University of Split, Croatia
Besfort Idrizi, Associate Professor, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia
dr Marina Radulj, Associate Professor, University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
dr Irina Subotić, Professor Emeritus, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Svetozar Rapajić, Professor Emeritus, University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia
dr Milena Dragićević Šešić, Professor Emeritus, University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia
dr Živko Popović, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Marina Milivojević Mađarev, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Boris Dumnić, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Darko Stefanović, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Jelena Atanacković Jeličić, Full Professor, Director of the Department of Architecture and Urbanism, Faculty of Technical Sciences
dr Milena Krklješ, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Radivoje Dinulović, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Tatjana Dadić Dinulović, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Romana Bošković Živanović, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Mia David, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Aleksandra Pešterac, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Sonja Pejić, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Iva Čukić, Ministry of Space, Serbia
dr Pavle Stamenović, Associate Professor, University of Belgrade, Serbia
dr Andrea Palašti, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia

Program Committee:
dr Slađana Milićević, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences
dr Tatjana Dadić Dinulović, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences
dr Mia David, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences
dr Sodja Zupanc Lotker, Assistant Professor, University of Prague, DAMU
dr Matko Botić, Professor, University of Split, Academy of Fine Arts
dr Andrej Mirčev, Professor, Berlin University of the Arts, Germany
Besfort Idrizi, Associate Professor, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Dramatic Arts

Organizational Committee:
dr Boris Dumnić, Full Professor, Acting Dean, Faculty of Technical Sciences
dr Darko Stefanović, Full Professor, Vice-Dean for Science and International Cooperation, Faculty of Technical Sciences
dr Jelena Atanacković Jeličić, Full Professor, Director of the Department of Architecture and Urbanism, Faculty of Technical Sciences
dr Tatjana Dadić Dinulović, Full Professor, Head of the Department of Art and Design, Faculty of Technical Sciences
Andrija Dinulović, Assistant Professor, Director of the Center for Stage Design, Architecture, and Technology (SCEN), Faculty of Technical Sciences
dr Slađana Milićević, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences

Executive Committee:
dr Slađana Milićević, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences
Janko Dimitrijević, Assistant Professor, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences
Zoja Erdeljan, Research Associate, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences
Katarina Keti Zaharijev, Teaching Assistant, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences
Anja Kodić, Conference Secretary

Review Board:
dr Andrej Mirčev, Professor, Berlin University of the Arts, Germany
dr Pavle Stamenović, Associate Professor, University of Belgrade, Serbia
dr Sonja Pejić, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Milena Krklješ, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Radivoje Dinulović, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Tatjana Dadić Dinulović, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Romana Bošković Živanović, Full Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Mia David, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad
dr Aleksandra Pešterac, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Sanja Maljković, Assistant Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dr Slađana Milićević, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences