Theorising Materiality - Materialising Theory

PD Dr. Henrike Haug (Universität Köln): ,,Ausbeute" und ,,Bodenschatz". Reflections on the Relation between Art, Nature, and Metals in Early Modern Mining Regionsä

Hörsaal C1 UniCampus Hof 2 2G-O1-03
Spitalgasse 2
1090 Wien

Mittwoch, 18. März 2026, 16:45 - 18:15

Although Technical Art History (TAH) has existed as an established specialisation within art history since the 1970s, when it gained prominence as part of the New Art Histories that challenged dominant art historical narratives and methodologies, it is still often confused with technical studies, conservation science, visual and material culture. While Technical Art History may overlap and incorporate one or several aspects of these other specialisms, its unique opportunity lies in its interdisciplinary, transnational and inclusive approach. TAH fosters a holistic understanding of an artwork’s existence as material object embodying an image with a physical history. An art object’s materiality is intricately tied to artistic intent, to concepts of creativity, and to larger historical-theoretical frameworks. In the last decade, important advances have been made in the realm of theorising materiality and overcoming the "hylomorphic model," with close visual examination of an artwork being the starting point for a technical-art historical study that extends to a contextual and theory-based interpretation of these material-based insights, thus transcending factual information-gathering from scientific analysis or visual examination methods. Materialising theory, on the other hand, has remained a somewhat elusive aim, the challenges and rewards of which we would like to place at the centre of manifold explorations in the summer semester of 2026. The series will consist of 12 lectures delivered by practitioners who have either made significant contributions to Technical Art History or who work in areas of dialogic, relevant intersection, in particular art historians, curators, anthropologists and conservators. Special emphasis will be placed on the in-depth discussion of select art works, covering a broad range of time periods, geographic regions and materials/media. Questions we hope to address are: How can dualistic conceptions of materiality be superseded? How can Technical Art History evolve further as field of research? How can theory and material/practice be further intertwined? What are the pre-conditions, limits and possibilities of a transdisciplinary approach? How can an engagement with material theory inform the work of academics and museum professionals alike? What new methodologies does TAH afford us, and why does it not have to begin or end with science? Which role do documentary sources found in archives and on the internet play in this type of research?

Antrittsvorlesung, Public Lecture

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:45:00 +0100