Arrival Cities: Migrating Artists and New Metropolitan Topographies

30 November – 01 December 2018, Munich (Germany)

Focusing on the intersections of exile, artistic practice and urban space, this international conference brings together researchers committed to revising the historiography of ‘modern’ art.

Part of the ERC research project Relocating Modernism: Global Metropolises, Modern Art and Exile (METROMOD), it addresses metropolitan areas that were settled by migrant artists in the first half of the 20th century. These so-called “arrival cities” (Doug Saunders, 2011), were hubs of artistic activities and transcultural contact zones where ideas circulated, collaborations emerged and concepts developed.

Taking cities as a starting point, this conference explores how urban topographies and artistic landscapes were modified by exiled artists re-establishing their practices in metropolises across the world.

It addresses questions such as: How did the migration of artists to different urban spaces impact their work and the historiography of art? How did the urban environments in which the artists moved and worked affect professional negotiations as well as cultural and linguistic exchange?

For a full schedule of the event please see here.