7th Conference of the International Committee of Design History and Design Studies (ICDHS)
20-22 September 2010,  Brussels ,  Belgium

The conferences of the International Committee of Design History and Design Studies (ICDHS) aim to assess the current state of affairs of design history and design studies. The seventh ICDHS conference, “Design and Craft: A History of Convergences and Divergences,” brings the relation between design and craft to the fore. This theme offers an excellent opportunity to gather new design historical and theoretical research from over the world in a focused discussion on regional specificities as well as the impact of global processes of industrialisation. If, until now, design history has been largely dominated by the Western narratives of industrialization, then moving the focus towards non-industrial design practice might bring non-Western scholars to the forefront. Moreover, previously marginalized design histories in industrialized countries can finally get a voice.

CALL FOR PAPERS
Original papers are invited to consider subject areas including the following themes:
 
STRANDS
1. The Impact of International Organisations
2. Craft and Tourism
3. Towards an Aesthetic of Objects
4. The Design Critic, a Lost Profession?
5. Revival of Traditional Techniques
6. Craft, Design and Postmodernity
7. Fashion and Craft
8. Ruptures and Continuities: The Historiographic Understanding of Craft and Design
9. Craft and Technological Innovation
 
Alongside these strands, there will be two workshops with an emphasis on debate and discussion.
 
WORKSHOPS
1. “Design Centres” and Design Exhibitions
2. Craft and Gender
 
Please submit your 300-word abstract (in English), either for the strands or for the workshops, including a title and full contact details (see below) as an electronic file to abstracts@designandcraft2010.be as soon as possible but no later than 31 December 2009.
 
For further details on the conference at a later stage please visit www.designandcraft2010.be
 
 
SUBMISSION DETAILS
Papers are expected to make an original contribution to the field of design history and design studies. People who are interested in presenting a paper should send an abstract for refereeing. Paper proposals will be selected by the ICDHS members and the scientific committee to cover different areas, methods, approaches and positions.
 
Abstracts should be maximum 300 words. Each entry should incorporate the following information:
 
Author’s(s’) full name(s), (+gender (M/F), in brackets)
Title
Position
Institution
Address for correspondence
Telephone
Fax
E-mail
Theme of the paper (see conference strands and workshops) indicating a first and second choice
Title of the paper
Abstract of the paper
 
Abstracts and later paper submissions should be sent by e-mail as a Microsoft Word or RTF document, double-spaced on A4. Preferred typeface is 12pt Times new Roman.
 
The official language of the conference is English.
 
Publication opportunity: Papers accepted for the conference will be published in the conference proceedings, subject to author registration.
 
 
Convener: Dr. Javier Gimeno-Martínez (javier.gimeno@ arts.kuleven. be)
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven/Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO)
 
Co-convener: Dr. Fredie Floré (fredie.flore@ugent.be)
Ghent University/Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam