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Call For Papers

Science, Medicine, and the Visual Arts in Dialogue: The Ibero-American Context, Then and Now.

Call for Papers: Hemisphere: Visual Cultures of the Americas, Volume XVI. Send completed materials to . Deadline: EXTENDED to June 7, 2024.

Hemisphere: Visual Cultures of the Americas is an annual publication produced by graduate students affiliated with the Department of Art at the University of New Mexico.

The intersection of science and art is a rich terrain that often remains unexplored particularly in Ibero-American contexts. While commonly perceived as opposing poles, the convergence of science and art is prominent and deserves more scholarly attention than it has received. For Volume XVI of Hemisphere: Visual Cultures of the Americas, we seek scholarly essays that examine this underexplored subject and, both, challenge dichotomies and explore the multifaceted relationships and intersectional approaches between these broad cultural fields.

Various scholars across diverse disciplines have been delving into the dynamic relationship between science and art by examining this intersection with the broader Humanities. Scholars in this exploration include Daniela Bleichmar, John Slater, Carlos Viesca Treviño, and Elias Trabulse, among others. The entwining of art and science has a rich history, evident in the practices of early Iberian colonizers, illustrated by the botanical expeditions of the Malaspina expedition, the pharmaceutical cataloguing by the First Royal Protomédico Francisco Hernández de Toledo, to later figures, such as, Alexander von Humboldt and José Celestino Mutis. Visual and material evidence or documentation of such work takes various forms, ranging from botanical works, medical journals, and periodicals, as well as painting, sculpture, and wax works that delve into anatomy and similar subjects. Far from the colonial era, the relationship between science and art extends into the present. Exploration into historical practices such as botanical expeditions by Iberian physicians and scientists, foreign travelers, as well as examining the works of contemporary artists like Frida Kahlo, Damian Ortega, Iván Navarro, Regina Silveira, Teresa Margolles, Sandy Rodriguez and others, this call aims to showcase the collective impact of these figures on the dynamic fusion of art and science in the American hemisphere through a broad, intersectional lens.

We invite advanced graduate students (See Guidelines) to contribute to this exploration by submitting papers that delve into the entangled relationship of science and medicine in Ibero-American art and visual culture beginning in the sixteenth century to the present. The intentional broad scope is to bring different topics into a closer dialogue. Scholarly essays should shed light on instances where these seemingly distinct realms not only meet but mutually uphold each other. We encourage contributors to investigate how artists have engaged with scientific and medical themes, and how these themes have influenced visual and material communication throughout the Ibero-American territories.

TOPICS OF INTEREST MAY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

Native and Indigenous Knowledge Systems that investigate visual communication systems, historical or actual, that incorporate elements of scientific and/or medical knowledge such as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Historical Perspectives that examine the historical roots of the intersection between science, medicine, and art in Latin America, explore Native ideas and practices, consider the impact of European conquest, and subsequent developments. Contemporary Expressions that speak to how contemporary Latin American and Latinx artists integrate scientific and medical themes in their work or that reflect on the evolving relationship between these disciplines. Technological Syntheses & Innovations that illustrate how scientific and technological advancements were integrated into artistic practices, emphasizing the role of technology in interpreting science within the broader realms of art production, dissemination, and the construction of visual culture. The Role of the Body, either, as subject of a work by interrogating the role of patient and physician, especially in conversation within the historical realm of science and medicine or as contributor as medium. For further questions please send an email to .

Guidelines for Submission:

  • Submissions and accompanied materials (see below) must be emailed to Hemisphere by May 15, 2024 at: .
  • Only completed works by advanced graduate students (MA and Ph.D.) currently enrolled in academic programs in and outside of the U.S. will be considered. (See Guidelines)
  • Submission formats include essays (15–30 pages in length), book, exhibition, or performance reviews (5–10 pages in length), or interviews (5–10 pages in length)
  • Submissions in English, Spanish or Portuguese are acceptable.
  • Each submission must be accompanied by:
    1. A cover letter that prominently notes the title of the essay, the field of study to which it pertains.
    2. An updated complete CV that includes the author’s status (e.g. M.A., Ph.D. Student, or Ph.D. Candidate), department, and institution name and location. Authors will be notified in Late May / Early June of the status of their submission.
  • For formatting guidelines, and other policies see: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hemisphere/
  • Authors of essays published in Hemisphere will be invited to present their work at a symposium to be scheduled in 2025 at The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, if conditions allow. If not, we may hold the symposium virtually through Zoom.
  • To view past volumes of Hemisphere, please visit UNM Digital Repository https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hemisphere/
  • Be sure to follow us on Instagram for future news and updates: https://tinyurl.com/4d4nhdfh

Images Used:

Flyer: Português: Abacaxi, Melancias e Outras Frutas (Frutas Brasileiras) English: Pineapple, Watermelons, and Other Fruits (Brazilian fruits) Albert Eckhout 1610-1666, Oil on Canvas, 91 × 91 cm (35.8 × 35.8 in) National Museum of Denmark

Instagram/Social: Ex-voto of Josefa Peres Maldonado. Unnamed Artist, Probably Aguascalientes, Mexico, 1777. Oil on canvas. 27 1/4 × 38 1/2 in. (69.2 × 97.8 cm). Davis Museum at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, 2004.10.