CFP ANTIQUITY IN MEDIA STUDIES: 2024 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE deadline 1/8/24

Antiquity in Media Studies (AIMS) seeks proposals for its annual virtual conference on any topic related to the reception of the ancient Mediterranean world in modern media. AIMS has run this annual conference for the past four years, during which we have brought together scholars and creators from various disciplines to discuss their work seeking to uncover the ways that antiquity is reimagined across different media: comics, video games, film, TV, analog games, podcasts, YouTube, music and music videos, among many others.

The conference committee seeks a variety of contribution formats for the presentation of research, pedagogy, and creative responses to the reception of antiquity, including but not limited to: individual 20-minute papers, three-paper panels, roundtables, workshops, poster sessions, lightning sessions, play-throughs, live multiplayer games, technical demonstrations, creative showcases, creator interviews, and other activities that can fit within a 60-90-minute time slot and be delivered remotely at this online conference. The conference will also host a special live Pedagogy Potluck event, sponsored by the AIMS Professional Development committee, on the topic of gender and intersectionality in ancient culture and modern media. Presenters may present at the Pedagogy Potluck in addition to a regular conference event (follow this link to learn more about the special conference Pedagogy Potluck).

This year we are also encouraging proposals on our special conference theme reflecting on the role of technology in and around receptions of the ancient Mediterranean world. Technology and progress have been in tension since antiquity. In ancient epic, humanity’s generational evolution is described in terms of its material innovation (Hesiod, Works and Days 106-201 and Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.89-150): from the Golden Age humans living a utopian existence, to lesser generations of Silver, followed by Bronze, a generation of non-metallic Heroes (although Ovid omits this), and finally a generation of Iron which is the most corrupt of all. The evolution from precious metals to lesser metallic alloys narrates humanity’s journey toward innovative technological advancement, while also suggesting that corruption of humanity’s moral character results from this innovation. Our core concepts of technology have evolved since antiquity, from the broad scope and meaning of the Greek word technē (craft, skill, or art) to today’s popular association of technology with scientific and digital materials.

•     How does technology (both ancient, modern, and their blending) feature in receptions of the ancient world?
•     What technologies, or technological components of media, are used to facilitate reinterpretations of the ancient world?
•     How can emerging technologies (such as generative AI and LLMs) help us engage with antiquity?
•     How are ancient concepts of technē (art, craft, skill) foregrounded in receptions of the ancient world?
•     How have ancient concepts of technē evolved in later time periods?
•     What is humanity’s shifting relationship with technology, from antiquity to today, and how do modern receptions of antiquity reimagine technology’s relationship with marginalized groups?
•     To what extent is modern technology gendered, and can we locate the power structures that govern sexual dynamics emerging in new technologies within ancient sources?
•     How are current ideas of technology, innovation, and progress forecasted (or interpreted as having been forecasted) in antiquity? Is progress future-oriented, or can it be regressive in nature?
•     How do our current concepts of scientific technology (medicine, engineering, artificial intelligence) influence how we think about the past?
•     What is the interplay between art and science in receptions of the ancient world?
•     Can study of antiquity help us reflect on current advancements and/or crises in technology?

Proposals for individual papers (on either the special conference theme or any other topic related to the reception of antiquity) should be a maximum of 500 words, not including bibliography. For full three-paper panel proposals, include the abstracts of all three papers and a panel description, for a total of no more than 2000 words, not including bibliography. Do not include any personally identifying information on the proposal. If accepted, presenters of 20-minute papers are required to pre-record their paper presentations and provide captions in advance of the conference.

See timeline and details below on how the AIMS virtual conference flips the traditional conference model in the interests of accommodating as many participants as possible. We particularly invite submissions from early-career scholars, independent scholars, and scholars from marginalized groups.

Submit your proposal (including for general submissions, the special topic, and the Pedagogy Potluck) through the conference online portal, located on the AIMS website here. Proposals for the Pedagogy Potluck can be submitted at the same time as a conference proposal, but you will be prompted to upload a separate file on the submission form. Proposals are due by August 1, 2024.