The Sixth International Scientific Conference of the Chair of Theoretical Studies UL ALUO

The Academy of Fine Arts and Design (UL ALUO) invites you to the Sixth Scientific Conference of the Chair of Theoretical Studies entitled Between Eco-Agitprop and the Aesthetization of Environmental Ethics? The Role of Visual Art Practices in the Thematization of Environmental and Climate Change. It will take place on Wednesday, 24 September 2025, between 10.00 and 16.00, in the Auditorium of the National Gallery, entrance from Cankarjeva 20, Ljubljana.

The theme of this year’s conference focuses on the role of visual arts practices in addressing environmental and climate change, which has become an important subject of artistic, design, and scientific research at the UL ALUO in recent years. Despite the relevance and topicality of the theme, this year’s conference is also intended as a critical examination of the idea, or rather the imperative that visual, artistic, and design practices should make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change.

The direct application of political and ethical positions articulated in the field of contemporary environmental philosophy and ethics to the field of visual arts raises several general questions, like what kinds of knowledge and understanding do visual/artistic works convey? What is the connection between visual practices/works, perception, and cognition? How can ethical questions be linked to aesthetic and sensory language? The contributions of participating researchers will address the representation of the topic in a local and regional context, as well as the connection between visual practices with science, and their conditioning by current technological circumstances. This year’s conference will also feature conference posters by doctoral students enrolled in the interdisciplinary doctoral program in Humanities and Social Sciences (field Fine Arts) at the UL ALUO.

There is no participation fee and no registration is required!

The conference will be held in Slovenian and English. Additional information: Kaja Kraner, kaja.kraner@aluo.uni-lj.si

Lecturers:

Izr. prof. dr. Kristina Pranjić, UNG
Izr. prof. dr. Peter Purg, UNG
Asist. Tery Žeželj, MA, UNG
Doc. dr. Kaja Kraner, UL ALUO
Prof. dr. Nadja Zgonik, UL ALUO
Doc. dr. Petja Grafenauer, UL ALUO
Prof. dr. Uršula Berlot Pompe, UL ALUO
Asist. dr. Eszter Polonyi, UL FMF, UL ALUO, Kunstuniversität Linz
Prof. dr. Jan Völker, UL ALUO, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Doc. dr. Tomo Stanič, UL ALUO
Prof. dr. Tomaž Grošovnik, UP PEF, UM FF
Asist. dr. Magdalena Germek, UL ALUO
Izr. prof. dr. Blaž Šeme, UL ALUO
Asist. Tamara Lašič Jurković, MA, UL ALUO

Participating doctoral students with conference posters:

Špela Guček
Robert Ilovar
Žan Kobal
Tamara Lašič Jurković

Organisation: UL ALUO in cooperation with the National Gallery of Slovenia

The scientific conference is co-financed by the Chair of Theoretical Studies UL ALUO, the interdisciplinary doctoral program in Humanities and Social Sciences in the field of Fine Arts Studies, conducted at the UL ALUO, and the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS) as part of the research program P5-0452 Visual Literacy, conducted at the UL ALUO.