Events

Call for Papers

Decolonial and postcolonial studies play a major role in Eastern Europe in both theory and aesthetic practices such as art, literature, film, or visual and material culture. Especially since 1989 they establish a change of perspective that has been making peripheral actors and non-hegemonic positions visible. The demand for the examination of imperial structures, site-sensitive theories and a re-examination of Eurocentric points of view have increasingly become the focus of the debate, which has gained urgency at the latest since the Russian attacks on Ukraine. However, the query surfaces whether and how exactly theories of decolonisation, which were developed with other geographies in mind, and Eastern Europe can or should be thought together. This is valid especially considering the diversity of postsocialist spaces, which extend from Central Europe via the Baltic States, Russia and Ukraine to Central Asia.

Therefore, this Summer School will focus on these recent discussions and explore the following questions: Is a description of the conditions in the postsocialist space as postcolonial adequate? If so, what might the decolonisation of Eastern Europe look like? What is the relationship between postcolonial and postsocialist dynamics? What role can the arts play in these processes? Which aesthetic practices can be described as decolonising? How do authors and artists develop alternative modes of situating themselves as Eastern European? How are postcolonial approaches adapted to the cultural and historical experiences and new political conditions in the regions?

We aim this event at doctoral students, postdocs, prospective researchers as well as artists, who would like to discuss their current academic and / or artistic projects on the topic. Additionally, we will invite selected scholars, writers as well as artists from the regions mentioned. Please send your CV and a short abstract (350 words) of your presentation to marina.gerber@uni-hamburg.de.

The Summer School will be held in English and German at Warburg-Haus, Hamburg. Accommodation costs will be covered. An application for funding for travel expenses has been submitted. The application deadline is 2 May 2025. Participants will be notified by mid-May.