IOV Science and Research Commission for Europe, IOV Latvian Section and The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia organize IOV 15th European International Scientific Conference of Folk Culture. The title is “Folk handicraft in European social space: artistry and cultural practices”.
The conference will be held from June 5th to 7th, 2020, in Riga (Latvia) within the framework of celebration of the 50th anniversary of Latvian Folk Applied Arts Fair in the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia. The conference languages are Latvian and English.
To preserve national identity nowadays it is important to continue to assess, preserve and pass the country’s material and spiritual cultural heritage on to the next generation.
In order to update this problem in a broad context, in the frame of celebration of the 50th anniversary of Latvian Folk Applied Arts Fair in the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia, we invite scholars and researchers of different aspects of folk art and culture to participate in the conference Folk handicraft in European social space: artistry and cultural practices, and to present papers and discuss various aspects of folk crafts. The topics of scientific considerations include analyses of artistic, ideological, philosophical, local, regional and global elements of folk cultures in the realms of folk systems of values, folkways, habits, annual and family rituals, etc.
Suggested content of speeches and topics for discussions:
1) Traditional and contemporary folk handicrafts in the region.
2) The proportion of traditions and novelties in folk handicrafts.
3) The boundary between traditional and contemporary folk art.
4) Folk handicraft and urban development, tourism economy.
5) The vision for the future of traditional art in the development of craftsmanship in Europe.
6) Regional policy of safeguarding national identity and passing folk traditions on to younger generations.
Please send the title and abstract of your presentation in English (up to 200 words) to e-mail: iov@brivdabasmuzejs.lv before November 30th, 2019. Authors of selected presentations will be informed in January 2020.
IOV members and colleagues wishing to participate in the conference should plan to arrive at the Riga Airport (RIX) on June 4th and depart on June 8th in the morning.
Conference Scientific Committee:
Chairpersons of the organizing committee:
– Prof. Anna Brzozowska-Krajka (chair of IOV International Commission for Science and Research for Europe, chair of IOV Polish Section), Poland
– Dr. hist. Aija Jansone (University of Latvia, Institute of History of Latvia, The Etnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia, Head of Ethnography Department, chair of IOV Latvian Section), Latvia
– Prof. Emma Chen Hoefler (Vice-president of the International Organization of Folk Art (IOV), Germany, China
– Dr. art. Dagmāra Prīberga (Head of the Association “Latvian Folk Art Union”), Latvia
Members of the organizing committee:
– Mg. fhil. Kristīne Kūla (Acting Director of the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia), Latvia
– Mg. hist. Una Cine (historian at the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia), Latvia
– Mg. fhil. Austra Ziļicka (historian at the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia), Latvia
– Mg. fhil. Harita Maniņa (Public Relations Specialist at the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia)
The total cost of participation in the conference is 400 Euros (the scientific committee of the conference will try very hard to get some funds to support financially those IOV members whose papers will be accepted for presentation at the conference). Its covers the costs of accommodation (4 nights: 4.-8. June 2020), full board, transfers from/to airport, visiting the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia and Craftsmen’s Fair, as well as conference materials.
The conference fee does not cover the costs of participants’ insurance and trip.
Circular two will be sent at the beginning of December 2019: it will contain detailed principles of the conference and further organizational details.
Click here to download the registration form or to read about the Ethnographic Museum of Latvia.
