The Arctic Modernities Conference will investigate the impact of modernisation and modernity on the Arctic as a cultural formation from a variety of perspectives across the humanities: literary, visual and cultural.
We particularly welcome papers addressing three nodal points that are often interlinked within discourses of Arctic modernity: gender, indigeneity and ecology. Gender may be seen as key to an understanding of modernisation processes in the Arctic, while indigeneity and ecology are inextricably linked in discourses of Arctic modernity that respond to the complexities and risks of Arctic developments, globally as well as locally. All three nodal points provide the possibility of critique and a necessary focus on the grey zones ignored in much present-day decision making about the Arctic. The perspective on the Arctic may be both external/touristic and internal/indigenous, based on residency and intimate local knowledges.
The conference is sponsored by the research project "Arctic Modernities" funded by the Polar Programme of the Research Council of Norway.
For further information please contact: Anka Ryall, anka.ryall@uit.no.
There is also more information under practical information about registration fee, excursions, receptions, hotels etc.
Photo credits: Nick Cobbing, John Quigley’s “Melting Vitruvian Man” (2011) and Marja Helander, “Mount Palopää" from the series Modern Nomads (2001)
