Enchanted Modernities Theosophy and the arts in the modern world
Amsterdam, 25-27 September 2013
Conference Programme
Enchanted Modernities: Theosophy and the Arts in the modern world
DAY 1 - WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER
8.00-8.50 Registration (Singelkerk)
9.00-10.30 Welcome
Session 1 (Singelkerk) Chair: Sarah V. Turner (University of York)
Keynote Address: Raphael Rosenberg (University of Vienna) ‘Mapping the aura in the spirit of art and art theory: Blavatsky, Leadbeater, Besant, and Steiner’
10.30-11.00 *Coffee break*
11.00-13.00 Session 2 (Doelenzaal, UvA Library; Singelkerk)
Panel 2A: Early abstraction / art institutions Panel 2B: Architecture and applied arts Chair: Rachel Esner (University of Amsterdam) Chair: Helena Čapková (Waseda University)
Marty Bax (Bax Art, Amsterdam), ‘Mondrian Susan R. Henderson (Syracuse University), and the power of primary colors’ ‘Lauweriks, Behrens, and the Kunstgewerbeschule in Dusseldorf’
Dmitrij Kraft (Ludwig-Maximilian- University, Sven A. Clausen (Independent Scholar, Munich), ‘Malevič’s avant-garde artistic Lübeck) ‘The method Lauweriks, system- concepts and the esoteric occult tradition of his based design and theosophy in architecture’ period’
Rose-Carol Washton-Long (City University of Mariël Polman (Netherlands Cultural New York), ‘Back to Barr - MoMA’s 2013 origins Heritage Agency), ‘Van Nelle: The of abstraction exhibition: a regressive narrative stratification of colours of an exceptional of modernism’ factory’
Pietro Rigolo (The Getty Research Institute, Los Jonathan Massey (Syracuse University, New Angeles), ‘“Instilling in humanity warmth and a York, USA), ‘Ornament as time and space: new spiritual light”: Theosophy and modern art Reconsidering Modernism via Claude in Harald Szeemann’s exhibitions’ Bragdon and Bruno Latour’
13.00-14.00 *Lunch*
14.00-15.30 Session 3 (Doelenzaal, UvA Library; Singelkerk)
Panel 3A: Symbolism 3B: Music 1 Chair: Gillian McCann (Nipissing University) Chair: Rachel Cowgill (Cardiff University)
Enchanted Modernities: Theosophy and the Arts in the modern world
Christel Naujoks (Aix-Marseille University), Andrew Owen (Louisiana State University), ‘Spiritual steps and artistic evolution of Paul ‘Holst’s Textual Synthesis: The Texts of The Sérusier (1864 – 1927)’ Hymn of Jesus’
Pascal Rousseau (Université Paris I), ‘Aristie and Dominik Šedivý (University of Salzburg), Sâr Peladan: Occultism and the sacerdotal ‘Dodecaphonic universalism: Equivalent mediation of art’ balance as a counter model to monocentrism and duality’
Sarah V. Turner (University of York), ‘Orphic Lucy Cradduck (The Open University), ‘“Point modernity: Theosophy, the visual arts and of Departure”: The enduring influence of cultural exchange between Britain and Belgium theosophy on the composer Edmund Rubbra’ in the early twentieth century’
15.30-16.00 *Coffee Break*
16.00-18.00 Session 4 (Doelenzaal, UvA Library; Singelkerk)
4A: Music 2 4B: Australia, Canada, and Mexico Chair: James Mansell (University of Chair: Boaz Huss (Ben-Gurion University of Nottingham) the Negev)
Olga Panteleeva (University of California, Patricia Plummer (University of Duisburg- Berkeley), ‘Exorcising scholarship: Sabaneyev’s Essen), ‘“An enthusiastic exponent of Scriabin and conflicting epistemologies of the theosophy and the teachings of Russian Silver Age’ Krishnamurti”: Louisa Haynes Le Freimann (1863-1956), Australian artist and theosophist’
Luciano Chessa (San Francisco Conservatory), Jenny McFarlane (Independent Scholar, ‘“Music the Dead Can Hear”: Thought/sound Canberra), ‘Centre and periphery: forms in Luigi Russolo’s Art of Noises’ Leadbeater in Sydney’
Deniz Ertan (Independent Scholar), ‘Junctures of Gillian McCann (Nipissing University), ‘“Spirit Theosophy, modernism and American music, as Transforming Power”: Theosophy and the 1918-1923’ arts in Canadian perspective’
Christopher Scheer (Utah State University) , Susana Pliego Quijano (Escuela Nacional de ‘Locating music in theosophical thought: Maude Antropología e Historia, Mexico), ‘Creation, MacCarthy, John Foulds and music from generation, transmutation and rebirth in the “Beyond the Veil”’ work of Mexican artists Diego Rivera, Xavier Guerrero, José Clemente Orozco and Dr. Atl’
Enchanted Modernities: Theosophy and the Arts in the modern world
DAY 2 - THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER
10.00-12.30 Visits to the exhibitions at the Library of the Theosophical Society in the Netherlands (Adyar) and at the Ritman Library
14.00-16.00 Session 5 (Doelenzaal, UvA Library; Singelkerk)
5A: The Baltic region 5B: Greece, Bulgaria, and Israel Chair: Raphael Rosenberg (University of Vienna) Chair: Deniz Ertan (independent scholar)
Massimo Introvigne (CESNUR, Turin), ‘Čiurlionis’ Victoria Ferentinou (University of Ioannina), theosophy: Myth or reality?’ ‘Theosophy, occultism and Greek symbolism: the case of Frixos Aristeas’
Nina Kokkinen (University of Turku), ‘Popular Spyros Petritakis (University of Crete), themes of fin-de-siècle occulture in the art of ‘“Through the Light, the Love”: The late Akseli Gallen-Kallela’ religious work of Nikolaos Gyzis (1842- 1901) under the light of the theosophical doctrine in Munich in the 1890s’
Caroline Levander (University of Gothenburg), Yuri Stoyanov (SOAS, University of London), ‘The spiritual ideas of Hilma af Klint: A reading ‘Theosophy and orientalism in the artistic of the system of symbols in her paintings’ legacy of Nikolay Raynov (1889-1954): A belated polymath and theosophic “heresiarch”’
Tessel M. Bauduin (Radboud University, Boaz Huss (Ben-Gurion University of the Nijmegen), ‘Hilma af Klint, metaphysical Negev), ‘Ideal reality: Esotericism, artistic empiricism, and the iconography of theosophy’ culture and Jewish identity in the Cosmic Movement and the Idéal et Realité circle’
16.00-16.30 *Coffee Break*
16.30-18.00 Session 6 (Doelenzaal, UvA Library; Singelkerk)
6A: India and Japan 6B: Performing arts Chair: Gauri Viswanathan (Columbia Chair: Massimo Introvigne (CESNUR, Turin) University)
Helena Čapková (Waseda University, Tokyo), Fae Brauer (University of East London and ‘Mystical spirit of Japan: Stefan Lubienski and University of New South Wales), ‘Hypnotic transnational artistic networks in the 1920s dancing: Performing art, parapsychology and Japan’ psychic theosophy’
Enchanted Modernities: Theosophy and the Arts in the modern world
Yorimitsu Hashimoto (Osaka University), ‘A Johanna J. M. Petsche (University of Sydney), medium for new India and new Japan? James ‘The Sacred Dance of the Enneagram: G. I. H. Cousins’ appreciation of Tami Koume and Gurdjieff’s Movements and their Esoteric Gurcharan Singh’ Meaning’
Janhavi Dhamankar (Oxford Brookes Robin Veder (Pennsylvania State University), University), ‘Exploring the theosophical ‘A Dreier Lithograph : Modernist choreography impulse of Bharatnatyam: A dialogue between for the neuro-muscular “new race”’ modernist aesthetics and classical traditions’
20.00-21.30 Session 7 (Stedelijk Museum) Chair: Marco Pasi (University of Amsterdam)
Keynote Address: Linda Dalrymple Henderson (University of Texas, Austin) ‘Rethinking theosophy in its early 20th-century context’
Round-table dialogue with artists and scholars ‘Theosophy and the spiritual in modern and contemporary art’ Coordinated by Marco Pasi (University of Amsterdam) and Sarah V. Turner (University of York)
DAY 3 - FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER
9.00-10.30 Session 8 (Doelenzaal, UvA Library; Singelkerk)
8A: Occultist symbolism 8B: The influence of Rudolf Steiner Chair: Wouter J. Hanegraaff (University of Chair: Walter Kugler (Oxford Brookes Amsterdam) University)
Sally-Anne Huxtable (National Museums Benedikt Hjartarson (University of Iceland), Liverpool), ‘“Fairy Faith and Pictured Music”: ‘Modern esotericism, aesthetic Lamarckism The art of Pamela Colman Smith’ and the historical avant-garde’
Pádraic E. Moore (Independent scholar, Dublin) Wolfgang Zumdick (Oxford Brookes ‘A. E. and the Theosophical Society in University), ‘Concerning the influence of Edwardian Dublin’ Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy on the early work of Joseph Beuys’
Jan Stottmeister (Independent Scholar, Berlin), Reinhold J. Fäth (Hochschule für Künste im ‘Theosophical symbolism: Melchior Lechter Sozialen, Ottersberg), ‘Artists within and (1865-1937)’ around the group AENIGMA (1918 - ca. 1928)’
10.30-11.00 *Coffee Break*
Enchanted Modernities: Theosophy and the Arts in the modern world
11.00-12.30 Session 9 (Doelenzaal, UvA Library; Singelkerk)
9A: Visual arts: Germany 9B: Music 3 Chair: Linda Dalrymple Henderson (University of Chair: Anna Gawboy (Ohio State University) Texas, Austin) Ryan Kurt Johnson (University of Alaska), Nick Attfield (Christ Church College, University ‘Anatomy of an icon: Fidus’ Lichtgebet, of Oxford), ‘Modernism, anthroposophy, and experiments in modern spiritualities, and the the symphony: Anton Bruckner in the writings aesthetics of the body in fin-de-siècle German of Erich Schwebsch’ culture’
Susan Bagust (Royal Musical Association), ‘The Marco Pasi (University of Amsterdam), theosophical world view and the collapse of ‘“Natura renovatur”: Giacinto Scelsi’s music form and content in early twentieth-century and the esoteric milieus of his time’ expressionism’
James Mansell (University of Nottingham), ‘Theosophical music in the “Age of Noise”’
12.30-14.00 * Lunch*
14.00-15.30 Session 10 (Doelenzaal, UvA Library; Singelkerk)
10A: Rationalism, mysticism and surrealism 10B: North America Chair: Eva Fotiadi (University of Amsterdam) Chair: Susan R. Henderson (Syracuse University)
Walter Kugler (Oxford Brookes University), Emily Gephart (Massachusetts Institute of ‘Between rationalism and mysticism: Andrej Technology), ‘Theosophy and the dreaming Belyj, 1880-1934’ imagination: Art, science and faith in the paintings of Arthur B. Davies’
Anita Stasulane (Daugavpils University), ‘The Anna Cannon (University of California, Santa messianic art of Nicholas Roerich: Engagement Barbara), ‘Builders of the Future: Claude of youth in theosophy’ Fayette Bragdon (1866–1946) and Mikhail Matiushin (1861–1934)’
Wouter J. Hanegraaff (University of Elizabeth L. Langhorne (Central Connecticut Amsterdam), ‘Leonora Carrington and the State University), ‘), ‘The Teacher and His Occult’ Student: Schwankovsky and Pollock in Search of the Golden Flower’
15.30-16.00 *Coffee Break*
16.00-17.00 Session 11 (Singelkerk)
Enchanted Modernities: Theosophy and the Arts in the modern world
Plenary Open Access session Discussion led by Demetrius Waarsenburg (KNAW; University of Amsterdam) (tbc) with conference organizers, Marco Pasi and Sarah Turner
17.00-18.30 Session 12 (Singelkerk) Chair: Christopher Scheer (Utah State University)
Keynote Address: Anna Gawboy (Ohio State University, USA) ‘Synaesthesia imagined, synaesthesia revealed’
Conference Close
Conference Organisation Team
Lead Conference Organiser/ Network Partner: Marco Pasi (University of Amsterdam) Conference Organiser/ Network Partner: Sarah Victoria Turner (University of York) Conference Organiser/ Network Partner: Christopher Scheer (Utah State University)
Conference Administrator/Network Facilitator: Katie Tyreman (University of York)
Secretary of the Center for History of Hermetic philosophy and related currents, University of Amsterdam: Nadine D. Faber (University of Amsterdam)
Enchanted Modernities A research network on theosophy, modernism and the arts, c. 1875-1960
For further information please contact: Katie Tyreman Enchanted Modernities: Theosophy, Modernism and the Arts, c.1875-1960 Department of History of Art University of York Heslington York YO10 5DD UK [email protected]
Please check the conference website for updates, registration, and practical information: http://www.york.ac.uk/history-of-art/amsterdam-theosophy-conference/
Cover Image: Christine Ödlund, Audiography , 2013 (watercolour, water-soluble pencil and pencil on paper, 137 x 91 cm). Courtesy Galleri Riis.