Design without Frontiers: Interdisciplinarity and Collaboration in Soviet Art, Architecture and Design

Description

Conveners

Dr Rosalind P Blakesley (History of Art/Pembroke College)
Dr Emma Widdis (Slavonic Studies/Trinity College)

Registration

Registration for this conference is now closed.

Conference Summary

Creative practice in Soviet Russia was marked by unprecedented emphasis on collaborative endeavour, reaching across disciplinary boundaries. Architects, poets, painters and designers were united in formal and informal collaborative networks, leading to innovative design collectives, and to a unique erosion of any lasting divisions between architectural, graphic, textile, theatre, and urban design. This conference – a collaboration between Cambridge University Library and the departments of History of Art and Slavonic Studies – will investigate the roots and legacies of these collaborative networks in order to shed light on the circulations, interconnections, and dialogue between different designers and modes of design. This is a vital part of the history of the Soviet avant-garde, and of its legacy; it has the potential to offer new perspectives on the history of 20th-century design.

Please note:  Speakers for the conference will be invited, so there is no call for papers.

Sponsors

The conveners are grateful for the support of the Cambridge Courtauld Russian Art Centre (CCRAC), Pembroke College, Trinity College, Cambridge University Library and the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), University of Cambridge.

Accommodation for non-paper giving participants

Conference participants can find information about accommodation in Cambridge at the following URLs:
http://www.visitcambridge.org/index.php
http://www.cambridgerooms.co.uk/
NB. CRASSH is not able to help with the booking of accommodation. 

Administrative assistance: Helga Brandt (Conference Programme Manager, CRASSH)