POLISH INSTITUTE OF WORLD ART STUDIES

ul. Warecka 4/6 – 10, 00-040 Warszawa, Poland, www.world-art.pl

and

MANGGHA MUSEUM OF JAPANESE ART AND TECHNOLOGY

ul. Konopnickiej 26, 30-302 Kraków, www.manggha.pl

have the pleasure of inviting you to the International Conference

ART AND RELIGIONS IN PRE-ISLAMIC CENTRAL ASIA

October 24-26, 2016
at the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Krakow

Dear Colleagues,

The Conference offers an ideal opportunity for scholars from all parts of the world to meet and exchange ideas and results of their research on art and religions of the Pre-Islamic Central Asia: Afghanistan, Eastern Turkestan (Xinjiang, China), Kashmir (India and Pakistan), Iran, Western Turkestan (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), ancient Gandhara (Pakistan), Silk Road. (Proposals of papers related to other adjacent territories with strict thematic relationship to Central Asia will also be considered).

Poland has a long-standing tradition of research in Asian studies. Some institutions in Poland have been involved in stimulating academic interest in Central Asian culture and art, such as the Faculty of Oriental Studies and the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, the Institute of Eastern Studies of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the Institute of Study and Restoration of Artistic Works of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun and the Polish Institute of World Art Studies.

Interest in the cultures of this region has been growing among archaeologists, art historians, Orientalists, ethnologists, art restorers and museologists, and we hope they will convene in Warsaw to exchange the results of their research.

PARTICIPANTS

We welcome participants in two categories:
(1) Speakers who present their papers,
(2) General audience who participate without presenting a paper.

PAPERS AND ABSTRACTS

As a rule, each speaker will be given 30 minutes; the paper (20 min) will be followed by a discussion (10 min). There will be sufficient time for unrestricted discussion and personal contact during the conference as well.
The REGISTRATION FORM including short abstracts will be expected by June 30, 2016.
It should be sent to: central.asia@world-art.pl
The organizers plan to publish the contributions in a separate conference volume in the series Conferences and Studies of the Polish Institute of World Art Studies (www.world-art.pl/Publications/Magazines and Series).

THE LANGUAGE OF THE CONFERENCE

The language of the conference is English.

CONFERENCE FEE

100 Euro. 50 Euro for Ph.D. students

THE VENUE

The Conference will take place in Krakow, the old capital city of Poland.
The organizers are trying to secure sufficient financial resources to meet the costs of board for all the participants presenting their papers. You are most cordially welcome!

THE ORGANIZERS:

Prof. Dr. Piotr Balcerowicz (Indology, Afghan Studies),
University of Warsaw; Polish Institute of World Art Studies,

Prof. Dr. Barbara Kaim (archaeology of Ancient Iran and Central Asia),
University of Warsaw,

Prof. Dr. Jerzy Malinowski (history of Asian art), President of the Polish Institute of World Art Studies;
Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń (jmalin@poczta.onet.pl),

Prof. Dr. Marek Mejor (Indology, Buddhist Studies),
University of Warsaw,

Prof. Dr. Jadwiga Pstrusińska (Afghanology, Iranian Studies),
University of Warsaw; Polish Institute of World Art Studies,

Prof. Dr. Andrzej Rozwadowski (rock art, archaeology, Central Asian studies)
Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań; Polish Institute of World Art Studies.

Karolina Krzywicka (history of Asian art),
Asia and Pacific Museum, Warsaw; Polish Institute of World Art Studies – scientific secretary central.asia@world-art.pl | biuro@world-art.pl

Dominika Kossowska (archaeology of Ancient Iran and Central Asia), 
University of Warsaw – secretary  central.asia@world-art.pl | biuro@world-art.pl

OUR PREVIOUS CONFERENCES ON ASIAN ART:

Japanese Art (Warsaw 2007); Art of China (Warsaw 2008), Art and Visual Culture of India (Warsaw 2008); Christian Art on the Borderlands of Asia, Africa and Europe (Zakroczym near Warsaw 2008); Sacred World of Central Asia (Warsaw 2008); 1st Conference of Polish and Chinese Historian of Art: Poland – China. Art and cultural heritage (Krakow 2009); 1st Conference of Islamic Art in Poland: Art of the Islamic World and Artistic Relationships between Poland and Islamic Countries (Krakow 2009); Art of Japan, Japanisms and Polish-Japanese Art Relations (Krakow 2010); South-East Asia: art, cultural heritage and artistic relations with Europe / Poland (Krakow 2011); 10th Conference of the International Society for Shamanistic Research Shamanhood and its art (Warsaw 2011), Korea: Art and artistic relations with Europe (Warsaw 2012); Bursa and Krakow: history and artistic culture of the Ottoman Empire and Kingdom of Poland in 15th-16th century (with the Uludag University, Bursa 2014); 2nd Conference of Islamic Art: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – Ottoman Empire: art & architecture – religions – societies (Warsaw 2014); 2nd Conference on Indian art: Art and culture of India and Polish-Indian artistic relations (Torun 2014); 2nd Conference of Polish and Chinese Art Historians: China-Poland: Art and Cultural Heritage (with the Tainan National University of the Arts, Tainan, Taiwan 2014); East Asian Theatres: Traditions - Inspirations - European / Polish Contexts (Krakow 2015).