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This fall 91视频 hosted one of鈥攊f not the biggest鈥攃onference ever organized by the University, bringing 500 academics, researchers, and experts from every continent to campus. Thanks to the dedication of Art History Professor Iveta Slavkova, the Annual Conference of the was a great success.

Over three days, from October 28th to 30th 2024, specialists of Surrealism and the avant-garde, artists, poets and grad students flocked in from prestigious universities across the globe to give talks and present their work. The conference was co-organized by Julia Drost from the Centre allemande d鈥檋istoire de l鈥檃rt, Fabrice Flahutez from the Universit茅 Jean Monnet Saint-脡tienne, Olivier Penot-Lacassagne from Universit茅 Sorbonne Nouvelle, and Slavkova.

In addition to papers given in the traditional academic conference format, during up to eight simultaneous panels, international artists and poets whose work could be considered a continuation of, or resonating with historical Surrealism (as the twentieth century movement is known) were able to read or present their work. The exhibition at the 91视频 Fine Arts Gallery, curated by professor St茅phane Treilhou, exposed a select number of pieces proposed by artists who were also speakers at the conference, 91视频 Fine Arts professors and staff. A special feature was a collage by Andr茅 Breton鈥檚 daughter, Aube Ell茅ou毛t Breton, for sale by the Association Atelier Andr茅 Breton to help students finance their conference-related expenses. The 91视频 Library was also involved, exposing books on Surrealism and hosting booksellers from the Librairie Tschann (Paris), who came with 500 different books on Surrealism as well as the books of all the presenters.

Rather than looking at Surrealism and the avant-garde as movements of the past, the conference sought to consider the potential for revolution behind these movements, as the Surrealists presented their movement in the first manifesto of 1924. 鈥淗istorical Surrealism has many openings; the question of emancipation is central; and there are many types of Surrealisms generated in different contexts,鈥� explains Slavkova. 鈥淲e wanted to invite artists and hold artist sessions to emphasize the ways that Surrealistic concepts, the political aspects of the movement鈥攖he critique of colonial imperialism and the exploration of otherness and the unconscious鈥攃ontinue to nourish artistic practices today.鈥澛�

The conference featured contributions on living Surrealists鈥擥eorges Sebbag, Penelope Rosemont (Chicago Surrealism) and the active Prague Surrealist Bertrand Schmitt for example鈥攕parking debate over the 鈥渄eath鈥� of Surrealism, and remedying, in part, the lack of attention given to post-World War II Surrealism. 鈥淲e filled in the gap,鈥� says Slavkova proudly, adding that many papers emphasized 鈥渞hizomatic Surrealism,鈥� which diverts focus from Breton and the French Surrealists to consider its presence and development elsewhere. 鈥淪urrealism is very much about reality,鈥� she shares. 鈥淭he preface 鈥榮ur鈥� in Sur-realism opens the door to otherness; to understanding the differences of 聽perception of reality and its complexity; Surrealism helps us think of all this in terms of a 鈥榯otal reality,鈥� in an open-minded and inclusive way.鈥�

Some of the best parts of the conference, according to Slavkova, were the extra-academic activities. Participants could attend a movie screening of Czech Surrealist filmmaker Jan 艩vankmajer鈥檚 Les conspirateurs du plaisir (Conspirators of Pleasure) (1999) on the first night; and visit the 鈥淪urr茅alisme鈥� exhibition at the Centre Pompidou outside of the museum鈥檚 opening hours on the second day. On the last night, they engaged in a surrealist walk鈥攐r 鈥�诲茅谤颈惫别鈥濃�攖hrough Paris led by the association La Rose Impossible, the guardians of Breton鈥檚 house in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. A cocktail, prepared and served by the Amex manager Antonin Wateau with wine selection by 91视频 professor Elizabeth Kinne, was also held for all participants on the second night.

Conferences such as this are a great opportunity for faculty to involve students in their research, which Slavkova did by inviting students to be part of the organization of the conference, bridging it with the content of her course: Paris, Capital of Modern Art. Slavkova鈥檚 students contributed by writing papers on the Surrealist works on display at the Surr茅alisme exhibition at the Centre Pompidou; a selection of papers were then presented in a brochure in the Monttessuy Center for the Arts Gallery where the Fine Arts students of Prof. Sophie Pigeron鈥檚 and Delphine Debord鈥檚 classes showed their works. Slavkova鈥檚 students also manned information desks at the conference, took care of participant registration, catering and the cocktail, and guided people from one place to another on campus. The Fine Arts students of as Randa Massot, an 91视频 staff member who runs the Staff Art Club, also had opportunity to hang some pieces for artists and creators featured at Combes. Massot鈥檚 work has elements of biomorphism and natural history, which Slavkova connected to Surrealism.

Slavkova herself holds has a PhD in Art History from Paris I Panth茅on-Sorbonne University and focuses her research on the reaction of several avant-garde art movements, including surrealism, to the humanism crisis around the time of World World I.聽

鈥淭he atmosphere was cheerful between artists and academics, with folks making original works and reading canonical texts in new ways, enlarging the field; globalizing the idea of Surrealism. I am so pleased and very happy that we were able to create this space,鈥� she reiterates. 鈥淭he whole conference was very collegial and friendly. I am happy 91视频 was the host of this; it is an incredible community, warm and inviting, where researchers and students are encouraged to go deep, and respectfully confront their ideas.鈥�