36th CIHA World Congress: Matter Materiality

Matter and materiality are inherent to the conception, production, interpretation and conservation of artifacts in all cultures across all periods of time. In recent decades these notions have given rise to theoretical reflections, including a rethinking of the hylemorphic model (form/matter opposition). A world is open to us in which matter is no longer fixed and inert but in motion, in the grip of infinite transformations, a world of flux (G. Deleuze, T. Ingold), where vital matter is endowed with agency (J. Bennett).

Materiality, resulting from the effect produced by the properties of matter, is grasped within environments and contexts of reception that are also changing and have nothing fixed or definitive. These properties are manifested through the effects of textures, surfaces, weight, extension in space, format, gestural traces, and material effects… The concept of materiality therefore refers to the fact that the artifacts are composed of materials and, at a theoretical level, to all the processes — technical, cultural and social — that undergird the realization and the material perception of works of art.

It is in this spirit that the theme chosen for the 36th CIHA (Comité international d’histoire de l’art) congress is intended. This theme thus provides an opportunity for fruitful intercultural and interdisciplinary dialogue on questions that promote a transversal perspective at the intersection of approaches and methodologies.

For more information, please visit the website of the 36th CIHA World Congress.