Call for Papers
From Taxonomy to Fluxus: Nordic art at the borders between Medieval and Early Modern
NORDIK 2025, Helsinki, 20-22 October 2025
Due By 28 February 2025
This session aims to critically examine the art historical hierarchy that traditionally positions certain figures or centers as the primary sources of artistic influence in the Nordic countries. Since the 1970s, and particularly throughout the 1980s, a shift in perspective emerged with social and technical studies revisiting established ideas about borders, centers, and peripheries in Medieval northern art. However, some forces have resisted this shift, and there remains a tendency to revert to national perspectives.
Today, there is a timely opportunity for a comprehensive, renewed view of Medieval Nordic art, prompted by the emergence of global art history, advancements in technical art history, and an increasing distance from earlier art historical paradigms.
This session seeks contributions that offer fresh perspectives on Medieval Nordic art. We welcome submissions that address:
Art Historiography: Topics illuminating the contributions of the early generation of scholars as well as the contemporary currents that resist or challenge a radical reassessment of art historical traditions.
Defining “Nordic” in Medieval Art: Studies exploring the concept of “Nordic” within the discipline, notions of being localised “inside” or “outside” the region and the implications of horizontal art history.
Cross-Disciplinary Case Studies: Investigations merging art history with conservation science, where material studies either challenge or reinforce traditional assumptions about the boundaries of Nordic art.
Network Studies: Research on artistic networks, clusters, and interactions between agents and “actors” within the Nordic region’s art production and trade.
Session chairs:
Kristin Kausland, kristin.kausland@niku.no Julia Trinkert, trinkert@hhu.de
Please submit your proposal to session chairs by 28th of February 2025.
Find out more here.