“URBAN POLARITIES. Aesthetic Energy of the City, 3rd International Conference” Call for Papers

LODZ 25th- 27th October 2018

AIMS
The aim of the conference is to critically explore the role of urban art and urban design in shaping the public sphere.  The topic of this conference – urban polarization and urban polarities,  is aimed at expanding the discussion of the aesthetic experience of the city and the role of various forms of urban creativity – street art, fine arts, architecture and greenery in the processes of urban regeneration and redefinition of city spaces. We would like to look upon the completed and ongoing projects of urban revitalisation and renewal to ask what those changes have taught us, what lessons can be drawn from successful and unsuccessful undertakings. With its specific historical, social and economic characteristics and its present endeavours at revitalisation and redevelopment, Lodz presents itself as an interesting scene for such observations. While discussing the question of urban polarization we would like to reflect on visual, spatial and social polarities that projects of urban renewal might challenge, as well as aesthetic and historical polarities ingrained in urban fabric and everyday life of a city.

TOPICS

• general mechanism of urban divide: aesthetic, spatial, social, economic
• urban policies and city planning – social revitalisation and urban renewal
• diverse urban functions and conflicts of values
• successful / failed scenarios for revitalisation and public art
• bottom-up / top-down activities in creating the city
• permanent structures / temporary structures, actions & events
• neglected spaces / overinvested spaces

ABSTRACTS
Please submit your abstract via email using attached AEC 3 Registration form. Abstracts will undergo a peer review for selection or rejection by the conference committee.
A printed publication of the Conference abstracts will be available at the Conference. Only the attending and registered delegates are going to be published. All abstracts (maximum of 400 words) must contain the title of the proposed paper, the name of the author, a brief cv including current affiliation and the contact information (institutional affiliation, mailing address and email address).

PRESENTATIONS
All accepted and registered delegates will be presenting their papers at the Conference.
Presentations will be organized in sessions or panels of no more than 4 papers presented for 20 min and all followed by a 30 minute debate.

FULL PAPERS
The publication of full papers will be prepared after the Conference and authors will be notified if their papers are selected for further publication.

All attending delegates must proceed with Registration and fee payment in order to present their papers at the Conference.

CONTACT
Agnieszka Rejniak-Majewska Ph.D.
the Conference Secretary 
aestheticenergycity@uni.lodz.pl

Organized by

• The University of Lodz  [Department of Ethics/Institute of Philosophy
  & Ceraneum Centre]
• The University of Barcelona [Polis Research Centre]    
• The Urban Forms Foundation

The Conference will be held at the Institute of Philosophy at the University of Lodz,
3/5 Lindleya Street, on 25^th – 27^th October 2018.