About the Forum and the Theme

The 2023 International Doctoral Student Forum of Art Studies at Peking University will be held from September 1st to 3rd, 2023. This forum, with the theme of "Between and Beyond", is looking forward to collecting the latest academic achievements and starting the exchange and collision of ideas among outstanding doctoral students and young scholars in art from all over the world through four sub-forums——Art Theory, Art History, Film Studies and Cultural Industry.

"Between" and "Beyond" are two mutually related concepts for reconceptualizing art. According to Qi Baishi, "The beauty of painting lies between likeness and unlikeness, too much likeness is flattering, while too much unlikeness is deceiving. "Between" does not exactly mean between "like" and "unlike" in the sense of realism and representation. It points to Wollheim's image theory about seeing-in and seeing-as. When confronted with art, we can see both the object that art represents and the medium that art itself uses. The "betweenness" of art can be further extended to mean both the existence of boundary and the tension of the boundary itself. Its meaning in this sense goes beyond the discussion of representation to reach the connection, interaction, confrontation and fusion that already exists between art categories and styles. Our understanding of "between" aims at finding the original possibility of art itself, which occurs before interpretation.

On the contrary, "Beyond" emphasizes the transcendence of the twofoldness of art. Zheng Banqiao proposed "the bamboo in the eye, the bamboo in the hand, and the bamboo in the chest", and the work of art is not only the interaction between the perceptual-object (the bamboo in the eye) and the material-representation (the bamboo in the hand). Between or beyond the two "bamboo", there is also a spiritual-meaning (the bamboo in the mind). What "beyond" emphasizes is the ability of the artwork to simultaneously present the object, the medium, and the meaning. In Chinese philosophy, "Yi" represents a transcendent sense of life, history, and the universe, including both the individual's temperament and spiritual state and the notions that are invisible around the world. Beyond the object and the medium, there is still an existence that can be perceived but not depicted exactly in words, while art can transform these ineffable into a visible object through the medium.

Through the theme of "Between and Beyond," we hope to promote young scholars' research on art philosophy, art history, and art disciplines.

The forum has two changes in the organization and call for papers. First, for the first time, this year's International Doctoral Forum on Art will include a module on musicology (temporarily listed under the Art Theory sub-forum), which will be organized by Professors Blake Stevens and Yanling Liu. Secondly, the Forum encourages in English submissions and presentations, and the sub-forum will be tilted towards English papers in terms of selection. All the papers in English will reviewed by experts and scholars with international backgrounds in related fields invited by our researcher Matteo Ravasio.

Introduction of the Sub-forums

Art Theory:

Art beyond boundaries

With the challenge of modernism and postmodernism to the essence of art and the dissipation of the artistic aura brought about by technological development, the boundary between art and non-art has become increasingly blurred. Today, all the principles of style in art history have also become invalid, and the boundary between styles has been abandoned. From painting and sculpture, photograph and film, to game, computer technology, and even objects in everyday life, the definition of boundaries in the medium of art has become void. Without the boundary, it is impossible to determine the center of art, and without a center, it is difficult to make a definition of art. The question of the boundary has become a key issue in the development of art theory. Today, it seems that all artists advocate crossing the boundary, yet the boundary itself doesn’t seem to be adequately thought through. Is the boundary really a clear, straight, and delicate line of demarcation? In addition to dividing different disciplines, languages, religions, media, styles, etc., the boundary, while separating the two sides, is also a link between two heterogeneous fields of art.  It’s between these two art fields and itself is also a field with an essential, constantly moving and changing nature. The boundary implies the artificially neglected relationship, connection and interaction between different styles, schools, works, East and West, religion and secularism, representative and abstract, realism and Xie-Yi, and other binary oppositions.

This year, the Art Theory Sub-Forum is themed "Art Beyond Boundary" and is open to outstanding PhD students and young scholars from home and abroad. Young scholars are encouraged to focus on, but not limited to, the following topics:

• The changes of the boundary of art caused by progressive technology

• Marginalized voices and the artistic canon

• Comparative art theories of different medium artists and artworks

• The intrinsic connection between eastern and western art theories

• The relationship between art and non-art

• Art and taboos

• The historical connection of national art

Special Panel: Music in and around Sound Studies

What is the place of “music” in sound studies and “sound” in musicology? Are such distinctions, roughly sketched here, now obsolete? With the consolidation of sound studies as a discipline, what can historical musicology gain from an engagement with its various methods and research agendas?

We invite proposals for papers exploring these and related questions, with potential topics and areas of study including (but not not limited to):

• Historical and Cultural Musicology

• Sound Studies

• Anthropology of Sound

• Comparative Studies in History

• Music Analysis

• Musical Timbre

• Temporality

• Performance Studies

• Transhumanism

• Materialism

• Electroacoustic Music

• Ecocriticism and Environmental Humanities

Art History:

Art History：Continuing in the Present

Since establishing art history chairs in universities in the 19th century, art history’s seemingly young discipline has already witnessed over a hundred years of progress. In retrospect, we continue to draw new inspiration and strength from classic cases and traditional methods: original works by famous masters, the brilliance of sacred art historical sites, formal analysis, and iconography remain fundamental for understanding the connections between artists and their works.

At the same time, art history is also an evolving discipline: the advancement of technology, the reconsideration of art historical materials, the close-reading of paintings, and the discovery of field archaeology have brought a more significant number of new materials into the field. Moreover, cross-disciplinary methods, including connections with anthropology, sociology, psychology, and other disciplines, have offered a variety of new perspectives for thinking about problems and have greatly expanded the boundaries of art history’s discipline.

Brought about by the emergence of Global Art History, academic discrepancies between the so-called East and the West have begun to weaken. Likewise, older models promoting simplistic dichotomous narratives of the art have also come into question, with the platform for new dialogue growing increasingly vital.

Under the influence of digitalization, the impact and collision of AI, Cloud Computing, and other technologies have created challenges and new opportunities for art history’s development……new materials, methodologies, technologies, and concepts continue to encourage scholars to reexamine art history with fresh eyes.

Even more importantly, young scholars continue to join the effort, vibrantly leading art history’s field into a future with endless possibilities.

Our vision begins by connecting the past and future and searching for changes and innovation. Considering the theme, “Art History: Continuing in the Present,” this Section is open to outstanding current Ph.D. students and emerging scholars internationally (both within and outside China). Papers are encouraged to focus on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Cross-disciplinary, cross-media, and cross-cultural art historical studies;

• Contemporary Interpretations of classical materials;

• New Materials and Theories for Art Historical writing.

Film Studies:

Chinese Film Studies under the Integration of Perspectives

China's development during the past century has provided a foundation for the film industry to emerge as a significant cultural strategy and a platform for artistic innovation, which has led to substantial national and international influence. As of late, research on Chinese cinema has thrived in a multitude of disciplines, such as philosophy, aesthetics, methodology, and media studies. Furthermore, contemporary academic research, theoretical methods and paradigms are undergoing a pivotal transformation that requires young scholars to conduct novel research from interdisciplinary and transboundary perspectives.

The film sub-forum for the 2023 International Doctoral Student Forum of Arts Studies at Peking University will center on the ontology of cinema and focus on "Chinese Film Studies under the Integration of Perspectives." The principal goal of this forum is to map the humanistic knowledge landscape in the era of digital intelligence and foster academic transmutation of cinema research from diverse perspectives. Research topics may encompass discussions on the interplay of films between the past and present, both within and outside of China, harmonization of film history and theories, and the theoretical establishment of technology and aesthetics.

Cultural Industries:

Techno-genesis and Creative Expression

Nowadays, information technology has become the dominant driving force of modern society, forming a cluster of high-tech groups such as computer technology, mobile communication technology, digital technology, and AI technology. The trend formed by the agglomeration of its technology, as well as its fast speed and free Internet connection, have changed the configuration of cultural production elements, broken through the original formation and dissemination path of cultural symbols, and brought about an ecological revolution to the end. Creativity has both rationality and sensibility, crossing different intellectual boundaries to give rise to creative results, or to reset, subvert and update the goals of something that had already existed. This is an effective way to realize the mutual accommodation and synergy of technical elements and cultural elements so as to add value. To this purpose, the theme of cultural industry parallel session in 2023 is " Techno-genesis and Creative Expression", covering various topics such as technological development and cultural governance. Our forum accepts papers from youth scholars in related research fields from all over the world, shares their research results in this field, and build the mutual thinktank.

Time

Forum duration:9/1/2023-9/3/2023

Application

1.Resume and Abstract Submission (5/1/23-6/2/23)

(a) Please read the requirements of each parallel session.

(b) Please fill out personal information, academic history and paper abstract in “Attachment: Registration Form for Peking University International Doctoral Student Forum of Art Studies.” Send the application form to pkuphdforum@163.com, with a subject of "chosen parallel session + applicant’s name." Please fill detailed contact information in the registration form.Our staff will contact you through email for notification or/and whenever is necessary. The forum gives preference to doctoral students under the age of 35.

(c) Abstract requirements

limited to 500 Chinese characters or 300 words; Chinese or/and English; maximum 5 keywords, keywords separated by semicolons.

(Only one parallel session can be registered for the same applicant).

(d) Each sub-forum will select 16-20 papers for selection, acceptance will be informed by email on 9th June.

2. Full text Submission (6/9/23-6/30/23)

(a) Paper requirements : The full text must be written in Chinese or English, between 8000-12000 Chinese characters or 6000-8000 English words (Times New Roman). The content on the first page should include : article title (in Chinese and English); introduction of the author (not more than 300 Chinese characters or 200 words); Chinese and English abstract of the paper.

(b) Full Paper Guidelines: Please see “Attachment: Full Paper Template” and follow the guidelines. Please refer to the requirements of the Journal of Peking University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition) 北京大学学报（哲学社会科学版）. Full papers that do not follow this format will be rejected.

Description of the Forum

1. Certification

After participating in the 2023 Peking University International Doctoral Student Forum of Art Studies, participant will receive an attending certification from Peking University. The forum will select outstanding papers, which will be collected in the forum proceedings and further recommended to other academic publications.

2.Attendance Treatment

(a) The accommodation and round-trip transportation costs sustained by the participants during the forum will be borne by the participants themselves. The organizing committee can assist guests to book rooms in hotels on or around campus. Please indicate in the registration form whether you need our assistance to book a room.

(b) During the conference, in order to avoid a large concentration of people, the organizing committee will issue a certain amount of cafeteria dining cards for off-campus guests. Please go to the designated restaurant by yourself.

(c) The organizing committee will choose no more than 6 excellent papers in all sub-forums, according to the quality of the full papers, and give the authors a subsidy of 500 dollars or 3000RMB for attending the conference.