On December 13, 14 and 15, 2023, I coordinated Panel 5 – Affects and Transgressions of the Body in Contemporary Art during the international conference Politiques et récits du corps / Políticas y narrativas del cuerpo / Politics and Narratives of the Body, organized by Università degli Studi de Padova (Italy), the State University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and the National University of the Northeast (Argentina).
Article’s thumbnail: Cover page of the published conference proceedings Politiques et récits du corps / Políticas y narrativas del cuerpo / Politics and Narratives of the Body
The Body in Mutation: Between Politics, Affects and Transgressions
This panel focused on representations of the body in contemporary art, exploring its transformations, resistances, and transgressions against social, cultural and political norms. The presentations addressed:
- Artistic practices that challenge the limits of the body through performance, photography, and installation.
- Narratives of the affected body, particularly in the context of illness, disability, and trauma.
- Political stakes of the queer, posthuman and cyborg body, questioning art’s role in reshaping bodily identities.
An Interdisciplinary and International Dialogue
The richness of this conference stemmed from the diversity of academic and artistic approaches, bringing together researchers, artists, and theorists from multiple countries. This dialogue helped address key questions:
- How does contemporary art contribute to the reconfiguration of bodily norms?
- What role do affects play in the reception and production of artworks?
- How do transgressive bodies become vehicles for political and social discourse?
A Role of Coordination Between Research and Creation
As coordinator of this panel, I worked to structure exchanges between participants, promote dialogue across disciplines, and highlight artistic practices that redefine the body as a space of experimentation, resistance, and emancipation.