The International Society for the Study of Surrealism (ISSS), a 501 c(3) nonprofit association for promoting fellowship and scholarly interaction among researchers, scholars, artists, and independent practitioners of surrealism, considered broadly, seeks nominations or self-nominations for a 1-year, renewable, volunteer Executive Board position: a Virtual Programming Coordinator. This is a volunteer position but it will come with a monetary stipend of $1500 as well as waived membership and registration fees.

We are seeking a candidate at any career phase (from student to independent to senior scholar) with the skills and interests necessary for coordinating the association’s forthcoming slate of virtual programs in 2021. This will include collaborating with a series of workshop hosts around the world, managing social media, and overseeing the coordination of virtual events and other volunteer-led initiatives. We seek a volunteer who is committed to the development and coordination of ISSS virtual events in the coming year and who is comfortable with working collaboratively across multiple fields and, ideally, across languages, in keeping with the ISSS mission. The one-year renewable term will begin on January 15, 2021.

Deadline for nominations and self-nominations: ideally before February 15, but we will continue to accept nominations and self-nominations on a rolling basis.

Please address all nominations  to: Jonathan P. Eburne, Acting President, ISSS: eburne@psu.edu

The ISSS Board and the Paris conference organizing committee are writing to let you know that the 3^rd annual ISSS annual conference, originally scheduled for November 2020, has been postponed until fall 2021. This decision was a very difficult one to make. However, based on the continuing evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic—and keeping the safety, as well as the institutional and financial circumstances, of our membership in mind‚ we agreed that this was a necessary decision.

Our Paris conference hosts— Olivier Penot-Lacassagne, Iveta Slavkova, Fabrice Flahutez, and Julia Drost—have worked together brilliantly to  envision a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary, and internationally-minded conference in Paris, and the ISSS board is excited to continue working with them to make the Paris conference a success in a year’s time, in fall 2021. We will update our membership when we schedule a new date, and will subsequently renew the call for papers. If you have already submitted a proposal, we apologize for the inconvenience and look especially forward to revisiting your work in the very near future.

In spite of this sad but necessary change in schedule, the study of surrealism continues to evolve and strengthen, even during these difficult times. Numerous museum exhibitions, book publications, and other celebrations have been appearing and are in the works; and new surrealism-related projects (such as The Debutante) continue to launch and sustain their artistic, scholarly, and political programs.  This is an exciting—and indeed, a necessary—moment for the continued and renewed attention to surrealism worldwide.

In this regard, the ISSS likewise continues to grow and develop, in spite of the pandemic. We are in the process of finalizing details about a new ISSS journal and book series.  We will hold an election for Vice-President for ISSS next month, and we will be launching a fundraiser (with original art) to support future travel to ISSS events by students, independent artists, and non-tenure track faculty.  We thus hope you will stay in contact, and, if you are in a position to do so,  consider renewing your membership to the ISSS.

Thank you, and with very best wishes,

Jonathan Eburne

on behalf of the ISSS Board:

Susan Aberth

Jason Earle

Jonathan Eburne

Andrea Gremels

Claire Howard

Elliott King

Sean Mooney

Melanie Nicholson

Effie Rentzou

Abigail Susik

Pierre Taminiaux

DEADLINE EXTENDED on account of coronavirus: APRIL 30, 2020

Call For Papers
https://isssparis2020.wordpress.com/

Surrealisms Paris 2020 (November 6-9, 2020) is the third conference of the International Society for the Study of Surrealism (ISSS). It is organized by the American University of Paris, Centre allemand d’histoire de l’art (DFK Paris), Université Lyon-Saint-Étienne, and Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3.

Please submit proposals to isssparis2020@gmail.com by April 30, 2020.

Call For Papers

https://isssparis2020.wordpress.com/

Surrealisms Paris 2020 (November 6-9, 2020) is the third conference of the International Society for the Study of Surrealism (ISSS). It is organized by the American University of Paris, Centre allemand d’histoire de l’art (DFK Paris), Université Lyon-Saint-Étienne, and Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3.

Please submit proposals to isssparis2020@gmail.com by March 31, 2020.

Building upon the success of the inaugural ISSS conference at Bucknell University (Pennsylvania, USA, 2018) and the second at the University of Exeter (England, 2019), we seek proposals for SURRÉALISMES PARIS 2020, which will be held November 6-9, 2020. Along with academic sessions and roundtables, the conference will include film screenings, poetry readings, and exhibitions. The International Society for the Study of Surrealism (ISSS) aims to facilitate cross-disciplinary and inter-regional exchange by organizing events and facilitating channels of information worldwide. The mission of the ISSS is to incorporate and promote new scholarship on global surrealism, as well as to introduce new ways to approach its various literary and artistic expressions. In addition, we seek to foster exchanges between practicing artists, writers, surrealists, and the scholarly community for whom surrealism (past and present) is a field of ongoing inquiry.

The year 2020 is an anniversary year for surrealism, marking the publication of Les Champs magnétiques by André Breton and Philippe Soupault, as well as the second version of the journal Littérature which, inspired by Dada, provided the foundation for the surrealist avant-garde.

In 1935, Benjamin Péret wrote that “to avoid its own desiccation,” Surrealism had to “bypass the narrow borders of France and adopt an international presence.” Our transversal and interdisciplinary Parisian conference will be the occasion to interrogate broadly, without reducing it to a narrow theme, this internationalization of surrealism, up to and including the emergence of global surrealism on the globalized market today. The international audience of Surrealism, in Europe and beyond, raises multiple questions: Where and by what means did the movement spread? What resistance or adherence did surrealist ideas meet in different cultural contexts? What were the modalities of surrealism’s reception in Europe and on the other continents? How did the relations between the supposed “center” (Paris) and the “peripheral groups” develop? How did the ideas of surrealism evolve due to this international expansion? Did the latter contribute to the loss of its initial nature or, on the contrary, to its necessary and vital renewal? Did the progressive commodification, aestheticization and museumification of surrealism undercut the political revolt and the poetic exigency the movement embodied? In other words, what is surrealism today: what poetic subversion, political revolt, or opposition does it still nurture and express?

Proposals for individual presentations (20 minutes) must include an abstract of 250 words, a title, professional affiliation (if applicable), email and postal address, and a short bio of the presenter. We strongly encourage proposals for pre-organized panels consisting of 3-4 papers; these proposals must include a supplementary paragraph explaining the panel’s rationale with a title. Roundtables and other alternative formats are also welcome. We warmly encourage proposals from graduate students who work on topics related to surrealism, as well as from independent artists, filmmakers, poets, and writers interested to present their work in a scholarly context.

Presentations may be given in French, Spanish, or English.

Please submit  proposals to isssparis2020@gmail.com by March 31, 2020.

The Committee’s decision will be notified by email by May 31 2020.

The organizers:

Iveta Slavkova, American University of Paris, AUP

Olivier Penot-Lacassagne, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3

Julia Drost, Centre Allemand d’histoire de l’art, DFK Paris

Fabrice Flahutez, Université de Lyon-Saint-Etienne

and the ISSS program committee:

Jonathan Eburne, Pennsylvania State University

Elliott H. King, Washington and Lee University

Effie Rentzou, Princeton University

Abigail Susik, Willamette University

Surréalismes Paris 2020 est la troisième conférence de l’International Society for the Study of Surrealism (ISSS). Cette conférence est organisée par : American University of Paris (AUP), Centre allemand d’histoire de l’art (DFK Paris), Université Lyon-Saint-Etienne, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3

Elle se tiendra du 6 au 9 novembre 2020 dans les locaux de l’American University of Paris (7e arrondissement, Paris) et de l’Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3 (12e arrondissement, Paris).

Veuillez envoyer vos propositions avant le 31 mars 2020 à l’adresse suivante : isssparis2020@gmail.com.

Après la conférence inaugurale de l’ISSS, qui s’est tenue avec succès à l’Université de Bucknell, aux États-Unis, en 2018, et celle de l’Université d’Exeter, en Angleterre, en août 2019, nous vous invitons à nous envoyer vos propositions de communication pour SURRÉALISMES PARIS 2020 qui aura lieu en novembre 2020. Outre l’organisation de sessions et de tables rondes, cette conférence fera place à d’autres manifestations : projections de films, lectures poétiques, expositions.

L’ISSS a pour but de faciliter les échanges interdisciplinaires et inter-régionaux en organisant des événements (colloques, forums, expositions) sur le surréalisme. Sa mission est d’en promouvoir l’étude et de présenter les nouvelles approches de ses expressions artistiques et littéraires. L’ISSS veut enfin permettre la création d’un réseau international réunissant chercheurs, artistes, écrivains de tous les continents qui œuvrent dans le champ du surréalisme, passé et présent.

2020 est une année anniversaire qui donnera lieu à de nombreux événements culturels en France. On y commémorera la naissance du surréalisme, avec la parution des Champs magnétiques d’André Breton et de Philippe Soupault, ainsi que la refondation de la revue Littérature (seconde mouture) qui, d’inspiration dadaïste, pose les prémisses de l’avant-garde surréaliste.

« Pour ne pas se dessécher », écrit Benjamin Péret en 1935, le surréalisme devait « sortir du cadre étroit des frontières de la France et prendre une figure internationale ». Notre congrès parisien, interdisciplinaire et transversal, sera l’occasion d’interroger très largement, sans la réduire à une thématique étroite, cette internationalisation du surréalisme, jusqu’à l’avènement d’un surréalisme global dans le marché mondialisé d’aujourd’hui. L’audience internationale, et non seulement européenne, du surréalisme, mérite d’être débattue. Où et par quelles médiations s’est-il diffusé ? Quelles résistances et quelles adhésions a-t-il rencontrées au cours de son histoire selon les lieux et les cultures ? Quelles ont été les modalités de sa réception en Europe et, au-delà, sur tous les continents ? Comment les relations entre le « centre » supposé (Paris) et les groupes « périphériques » se sont-elles développées ? Le surréalisme a-t-il été amoindri ou enrichi par cet élargissement international ? Le mouvement y a-t-il perdu sa nature propre ou, au contraire, y a-t-il puisé les éléments d’un indispensable renouvellement ? Sa progressive marchandisation artistique a-t-elle atténué l’exigence poétique qu’il défendait ? Son esthétisation et sa muséification ont-elles définitivement étouffé la révolte politique qu’il incarnait ? Bref, qu’en est-il du surréalisme aujourd’hui ? Quelle subversion poétique, quelle révolte politique peut-il encore nourrir ? Quelles oppositions permet-il encore de formuler ? C’est donc l’actualité plurielle du surréalisme, objet des approches les plus diverses, qui nous rassemblera à Paris.

Notre congrès parisien sera l’occasion d’interroger cette nécessaire mais périlleuse internationalisation du surréalisme, jusqu’à l’avènement d’un surréalisme global dans le marché mondialisé d’aujourd’hui. L’audience internationale, et non seulement européenne, du surréalisme, mérite d’être débattue et de l’être sans complaisance. Où et par quelles médiations s’est-il diffusé ? Quelles résistances et quelles adhésions a-t-il rencontrées au cours de son histoire selon les lieux et les cultures ? Quelles ont été les modalités de sa réception en Europe et, au-delà, sur les autres continents ? Comment les relations entre le « centre » supposé (Paris) et les groupes « périphériques » se sont-elles développées ? Le surréalisme parisien a-t-il été amoindri ou enrichi par cet élargissement international ? Le mouvement y a-t-il perdu sa nature propre ou, au contraire, y a-t-il puisé les éléments d’un indispensable renouvellement ? Sa progressive marchandisation artistique a-t-elle atténué l’exigence poétique qu’il défendait ? Son esthétisation et sa muséification ont-elles définitivement étouffé la révolte politique qu’il incarnait ? Bref, qu’en est-il du surréalisme aujourd’hui ? Quelle subversion poétique, quelle révolte politique peut-il encore nourrir ? Quelles oppositions permet-il encore de formuler ?

Les propositions de communications individuelles (d’une durée de 20 minutes) doivent comporter un résumé de 250 mots, un titre, l’affiliation professionnelle, une courte biographie et les coordonnées de l’intéressé.e. Les propositions de séances pré-organisées (panels), vivement souhaitées et pouvant comporter 3 ou 4 communications, doivent inclure un paragraphe supplémentaire décrivant la logique et indiquant le titre de la séance. Les tables rondes et autres séances aux formats alternatifs sont aussi les bienvenues. Enfin, nous encourageons la participation des doctorant.e.s qui travaillent sur des sujets relatifs au surréalisme ainsi que celle d’artistes, de cinéastes, de poètes et d’écrivains qui souhaitent présenter leur travail dans un contexte académique.

Les langues d’intervention seront le français, l’anglais et l’espagnol.

Veuillez envoyer vos propositions avant le 31 mars 2020 à l’adresse suivante : isssparis2020@gmail.com.

Réponse du comité envoyée avant le 31 mai 2020

Le comité organisateur:

Iveta Slavkova (American University of Paris, AUP)

Olivier Penot-Lacassagne (Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3)

Julia Drost (Centre allemand d’histoire de l’art, DFK Paris)

Fabrice Flahutez (Université Lyon-Saint-Etienne)

avec  le comité de programme:

Jonathan Eburne, Pennsylvania State University

Elliott H. King, Washington and Lee University

Effie Rentzou, Princeton University

Abigail Susik, Willamette University

Surrealismos París 2020 (6 – 9 noviembre de 2020) es el 3er congreso de la International Society for the Study of Surrealism (ISSS).

Está organizado por la Universidad Americana de París, el Centro Allemand d’Histoire de l’art (DFK París), la Universidad de Lyon-Saint-Étienne y la Universidad Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3.Envíe propuestas a isssparis2020@gmail.com antes del 31 de marzo, 2020.

Sobre la base del éxito de la conferencia inaugural del ISSS en la Universidad de Bucknell (Pensilvania, EE. UU., 2018) y la segunda en la Universidad de Exeter (Inglaterra, 2019), buscamos propuestas para SURRÉALISMES PARIS 2020, que se realizará del 6 al 9 de noviembre 2020. Junto con sesiones académicas y mesas redondas, la conferencia incluirá proyecciones de películas, lecturas de poesía y exposiciones. La Sociedad Internacional para el Estudio del Surrealismo (ISSS) tiene como objetivo facilitar el intercambio interdisciplinario e interregional organizando eventos y facilitando canales de información en todo el mundo. La misión del ISSS es incorporar y promover nuevas investigaciones sobre el surrealismo global, así como introducir nuevas formas de abordar sus diversas expresiones literarias y artísticas. Además, pretendemos fomentar un diálogo entre artistas y escritores en ejercicio y la comunidad académica en torno al surrealismo (pasado y presente) como eje de investigación constante.

El año 2020 es un año de aniversario para el surrealismo, marcando la publicación de Les Champs magnétiques por André Breton y Philippe Soupault, así como la segunda versión de la revista Littérature que, inspirada en Dada, sirvió de base para la vanguardia surrealista.

En 1935, Benjamin Péret escribió que “para evitar su propia desecación”, el surrealismo tenía que “pasar por las estrechas fronteras de Francia y adoptar una presencia internacional”. Nuestra conferencia parisina transversal e interdisciplinaria será la ocasión de interrogar ampliamente, sin reducirla a un tema estrecho, esta internacionalización del surrealismo, hasta incluir la aparición del surrealismo global en el mercado globalizado de hoy. La audiencia internacional del surrealismo, en Europa y más allá, plantea múltiples preguntas: ¿Dónde y por qué medios se extendió el movimiento? ¿Qué resistencia o adherencia encontraron las ideas surrealistas en diferentes contextos culturales? ¿Cuáles fueron las modalidades de recepción del surrealismo en Europa y en los otros continentes? ¿Cómo se desarrollaron las relaciones entre el supuesto “centro” (París) y los “grupos periféricos”? ¿Cómo evolucionaron las ideas del surrealismo debido a esta expansión internacional? ¿Contribuyó este último a la pérdida de su naturaleza inicial o, por el contrario, a su renovación necesaria y vital? ¿La mercantilización progresiva, la estetización y la museificación del surrealismo socavaron la revuelta política y la exigencia poética que encarnó el movimiento? En otras palabras, ¿qué es hoy el surrealismo: qué subversión poética, revuelta política u oposición todavía alimenta y expresa?

Las propuestas para presentaciones individuales (20 minutos) deben incluir un resumen de unas 250 palabras, junto con un título, afiliación profesional (si corresponde), correo electrónico y dirección postal, y una breve biografía del presentador. Alentamos encarecidamente las propuestas de paneles preorganizados que consisten en 3-4 documentos; Estas propuestas deben incluir un párrafo complementario que explique la justificación del panel con un título. Las mesas redondas y otros formatos alternativos también son bienvenidos. Alentamos calurosamente las propuestas de los estudiantes de postgrado que trabajan en temas relacionados con el surrealismo, así como de artistas independientes, cineastas, poetas y escritores interesados ​​en presentar su trabajo en un contexto académico. Las presentaciones se pueden dar en francés, español o inglés. Envíe propuestas a isssparis2020@gmail.com antes del 31 de marzo, 2020. La decisión del Comité será notificada por correo electrónico antes del 31 de mayo de 2020.

Coordinadores del congreso:

Iveta Slavkova, American University of Paris, AUPOlivier Penot-Lacassagne, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3Julia Drost, Centre Allemand d’histoire de l’art, DFK ParisFabrice Flahutez, Université de Lyon-Saint-Etienne

con el Comité de programa:

Jonathan Eburne, Pennsylvania State University

Elliott H. King, Washington and Lee University

Effie Rentzou, Princeton University

Abigail Susik, Willamette University

Applicants sought for Editorial Board of the new academic journal of the ISSS.

Deadline: December 15, 2019 or until Editorial Board is named.

The International Society for the Study of Surrealism (ISSS) seeks applicants for editorial board members for its new scholarly journal. The term of service is four years.
(n.b. Board positions will rotate periodically, so we welcome nominations or self-nominations on a rolling basis also)
Qualification and requirements of candidates: Key qualities sought for the position of editorial board members: an established record of scholarship in the study of surrealism (in any discipline), ideally in a multinational or multilinguistic capacity; commitment to serving actively in an advisory capacity to the editors and to furthering their vision of the journal and fulfilling its mandate; commitment to upholding the mission of the ISSS and its journal, with regard to the study of surrealism and surrealism-related activities worldwide, across artistic media, and in various geopolitical and linguistic/cultural contexts; and willingness to take up various duties appropriate to the role of editorial board, including (at the editor’s discretion) the assessment of manuscripts and the naming of potential reviewers. Candidates must be members in good standing of the ISSS, and maintain their membership for the duration of the appointment.

The applications packet should include:
● Brief cover letter providing information about the applicant’s qualifications.
● Curriculum vitae.

All application packets (in PDF format) should be sent to:
Jonathan P. Eburne, Acting President, ISSS
eburne@psu.edu

Editor Search: A New Journal of Surrealism Studies for the ISSS: The International
Society for the Study of Surrealism

Search Schedule:
The International Society for the Study of Surrealism (ISSS), a 501 c(3) nonprofit association for promoting fellowship and scholarly interaction among researchers, scholars, artists, and independent practitioners of surrealism, considered broadly, seeks an inaugural editor or editors for a new peer-reviewed journal to be published under the auspices of the ISSS, with the support of a major university press. We are seeking editor(s) with a strong vision for surrealism studies worldwide, with an established
record of scholarship in the study of surrealism (in any discipline), who are committed to building and overseeing an editorial collective and comfortable with working across multiple fields and, in particular, across languages, in keeping with the ISSS mission Applicants will be selected well in advance of a four-year term beginning July 1, 2020.
Deadline for proposals: December 15, 2019
Position Description
The Editor or Editors of the new ISSS journal will lead the development, organization, and production of the new ISSS scholarly journal, envisioned as a dual-platform publication featuring two print issues per year and an active open-access digital platform for reviews, announcements, and born-digital features. This is a volunteer position, and the ISSS encourages potential applicants to seek institutional support
(e.g. in the form of Research Assistants and/or course releases, where applicable) for their editorial tenure. Individuals or groups of two or more are welcome to apply for the editorship.

Major Responsibilities
Upholding the mission of the ISSS and its journal, with regard to the study of surrealism and surrealism-related activities worldwide, across artistic media, and in various geopolitical and linguistic/cultural contexts; recruiting and receiving manuscript submissions and arranging peer review, when warranted; communicating with authors and potential authors; organizing, recruiting, and working with an editorial board; organizing and submitting copy for each issue of the journal in a timely way to the Press; checking proofs; planning future issues; maintaining regular communication with the ISSS executive board, including meeting with the board at the ISSS annual meeting and reporting on the journal’s activities at regular ISSS meetings; maintaining and developing professional relationships with principals and staff of the Press, which will maintain the ISSS membership list and subscription/renewal processes. The editor
or editors will work independently, but will serve as a voting member* of the ISSS board and report regularly on journal activities at board meetings and at the association’s annual meeting. Active ISSS membership is a basic expectation of a successful application, which is, in part, a reflection of the importance of the association’s core mission.
*n.b. If there are multiple editors, they will represent one vote on the board.

Application
If you are interested in this position, please submit a letter that addresses your qualifications and offers a sense of your vision for the ISSS journal, as well as a copy of your CV. Prior editorial experience is welcome.
The ISSS Board will create an ad-hoc search committee. Applications are due by December 15, 2019. We strongly encourage candidates to discuss their intentions with their academic administrators (deans, department chairs, etc.). The search committee will ask about what kinds of institutional support the applicants will receive if appointed to the editorship (for example, course releases, graduate and/or other student or staff support, any additional financial contribution), although this is not a requirement for
eligibility.

All application packets (in PDF format) should be sent to:
Jonathan P. Eburne, Acting President, ISSS
eburne@psu.edu

We are looking forward to the second ISSS conference, hosted by the University of Exeter, Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2019! Conference information, including a full schedule, is now online!

https://surrealismexeter2019.com/

The Journal of Surrealism and the Americas has a new website and has just released its latest issue, focusing on Max Ernst.
https://jsa.asu.edu/index.php/JSA

Contents:

Announcement: On November 30, the exhibition “Variétés (1928-1930) and Photography from the Amsab-ISG Collection” opens at VANDENHOVE – Centre for Architecture and Art in Ghent, Belgium.

The exhibition, which runs until 16 February, demonstrates how the Belgian Surrealist journal Variétés (1928-1930) playfully combined works by leading photographers such as Eugène Atget, Berenice Abbott, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, László Moholy-Nagy, Eli Lotar, and Man Ray with reproductions of paintings, film stills, fashion photographs, postcards, portraits, anthropological documents, and all kinds of amateur photography.
Apart from issues of the journal, the exhibition includes about 80 vintage prints of photographs that were published in Variétés. Thanks to the legacy of Variétés editor Paul-Gustave van Hecke, they became part of the collection of Amsab, the Institute for Social History in Ghent.

The exhibition is curated by Steven Humblet and Steven Jacobs.
In the context of the exhibition, a symposium will take place on Saturday 8 December. Speakers include Karen Kurczinsky, Rolf Sachsse, and Ian Walker among others.

Variétés (1928-1930) and Photography from the Amsab-ISG Collection
VANDENHOVE – Centre for Architecture and Art
GHENT UNIVERSITY
Rozier 1, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Open on Thursday and Friday (2:00-6:00pm) en Saturday (12.00-5:00pm)

See https://www.ugent.be/vandenhove/en/activities/exhibition-varietes-1928-1930-and-photography-from-the-amsab-isg-collection