1^st Terra (in) Cognita International Conference

Dialogues between Greek Culture and Modern American Art

November 10^th - 13^th, 2022 in Athens, Greece 

Hellenic American University announces the 1^st Terra (in) Cognita International Conference which will take place in Athens, Greece, November 10-13, 2022. The theme of this year’s Conference is Dialogues between Greek Culture and Modern American Art.

Terra (in) Cognita is an interdisciplinary project that brings together faculty, researchers, early-career scholars, students, and artists to explore associations between Modern American Art and iconic aspects of Greek Culture.

This year’s Conference aspires to constitute an umbrella, where different backgrounds and approaches of artistic expression will be examined into a unified framework of contemporary aesthetics and cultural discourse. This Conference is made possible through support from the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Terra Incognita is a Latin term used to describe undocumented regions and appeared for the first time during the 2^nd century AD in Ptolemy’s Geography[1]. Here, the term is used metaphorically to describe the unchartered territories between Greek culture and modern American art.

The 1^st Terra (in) Cognita International Conference promotes the research of cross-cultural exchange between modern American art and all aspects of Greek Culture, such as myth, ancient tragedy, Byzantine art and architecture, and symbolism. These subjects created an inspirational source in visual, performing, expressive arts and literature for the development of Modern American Art in the 20^th century and were embraced by American, Greek American, and Greek artists who incorporated this intriguing cultural dialogue in their work. The links between Greek cultural elements and modern American Art expand beyond the conventions of artistic production and unfold parameters of sociological influences and historical interconnections. Migration, national identity, and historical events shaped Modern American Art and became a key element in the development of new artistic movements.

The conference aspires to constitute a research opportunity and crossroad where the different backgrounds and artistic approaches will be examined under a unified framework of contemporary aesthetics and cultural discourse.

[1] Jones, A., Berggren, J.L., & Ptolemy (2020). Ptolemy's Geography: An Annotated Translation of the Theoretical Chapters. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

• Dr. Ermioni Karachaliou, Hellenic American University
• Dr. Alexander Kitroeff, Haverford College & Hellenic American University
• Dr. Kalliopi Koundouri, Hellenic American University
• James M. Lane, Artist & Curator
• Dr. Panayotis Kalozoumis, Hellenic American University