Inspired by Qatar’s distinctive location as part of international trade routes linking the Central Islamic lands, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean, the eighth biennial Hamad Bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art, to be held in Doha November 7-9, 2019, will foster a lively, engaged, and critical discussion touching upon some of the most vital questions raised by these vibrant and rich interchanges of the arts. How did exposure to imported materials and ideas transform formerly local artistic traditions? What role did travel, diplomacy, and gift-giving play in crafting seemingly discrete forms and practices? How are the movements of people, shifting markets for labor, and the uneven distribution skills and techniques, bound up with the formation and metamorphosis of styles? How did the shipment of commodities and curiosities from distant places shape and change social, cultural, and religious institutions? What role do the objects created from such interactions have in enhancing cultural understanding or generating enmity and mistrust? And how has the ever-increasing pace of globalization effected such developments?
We seek six conference chairs to solicit, select, and organize panels of three to four speakers. Panels should explore these themes, with an eye to interconnectivity across geographic boundaries both within the world of Islam and beyond, embracing the full span of their visual and material cultures. Please submit a short CV and a 500-word statement of interest, including a formal session proposal and list of possible speakers. Speakers need not be confirmed or contacted at this stage. Panel submissions should be emailed to Sean Roberts. Conference chairs will be paid an honorarium.