The Inter-University Centre in Dubrovnik, Croatia hosts a large number of conferences in a wide variety of disciplines each year, bringing together scholars from Europe, North America, and further afield. In April 2018, we shall be holding the seventh Dubrovnik Conference on the Philosophy of Art. The dates for the 2018 meetings are 23rd to 27th April, and the conference directors are David Davies (McGill), Jason Gaiger (Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford), Bozidar Kante (Maribor), Matthew Kieran (Leeds), and Iris Vidmar (Rijeka). We welcome proposals for presentations ranging across the full range of issues in the philosophy of art and aesthetics. On the middle day of the conference (20th April), we hope to have presentations on a selected theme with invited participants. The projected theme for 2018 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the publication of two of the most influential works in analytic aesthetics, works that have also strongly influenced work in the more continental tradition: Nelson Goodman’s Languages of Art and Richard Wollheim’s Art and its Objects.
The conference runs along similar lines to the Dubrovnik Philosophy of Science Conference held earlier in April each year. This means that we shall not be asking those wishing to attend for copies of their papers in advance, but we do ask for a title and a brief abstract by March 20th at the latest, and earlier if possible. We’ll notify all those who provide abstracts and titles as to whether their proposals have been accepted within a couple of days of that deadline, and earlier in the case of submissions received before the deadline. We can also provide, if requested, formal letters of invitation for those whose submissions have been accepted – these may be helpful in obtaining funding from institutions or granting agencies. A draft of the programme will be circulated to participants in the weeks prior to the conference, allowing for adjustments to be made if necessary to accommodate the schedules of those arriving late or departing early. There will be five or six hour-long sessions each day, with a lengthy lunch break (3 hours) to allow participants to continue their discussions at a restaurant or other place of hostelry in the Old Town, or to explore the city. Presentations in regular sessions should be no longer than 40 minutes. Graduate students and those wishing to present shorter papers can give 20 minute presentations, with two such events taking up a single one-hour slot in the programme.
We are unfortunately not able to pay any expenses for participants, but hope this will not prove too much of a discouragement. Participants should be able to obtain reasonable accommodation at hotels frequented by other participants at IUC conferences – details can be provided to those interested. Apartment accommodation in the Old Town is also available at very reasonable cost. There will be a small conference fee (around 40 Euros) in order to cover our obligations to the IUC for the use of the conference centre.
If you are interested in participating in the conference, please send a title and a brief abstract to David Davies at david.davies@mcgill.ca by March 20th 2018 at the latest. For further information, or if you are interested in attending, but not presenting at, the conference, please also contact David Davies at the same e-address.