ASCHA | Association of Scholars of Christianity in the History of Art

UPCOMING

CAA 115: February 3–6, 2027

ASCHA is pleased to announce a session at the 2027 College Art Association conference in New York.

“Christ in the Garden: Christian Motifs and Themes at the Venice Biennale.”

Since its inauguration in 1895, the Venice Biennale has become one of the premier international exhibitions of contemporary art. Initially confined to the Giardini, the Biennale has expanded to venues across the city of Venice. Across this complex, diverse, and sometimes controversial history, each Biennale offers a snapshot, or an array of snapshots, tracing developments in the visual arts, including evolving strategies of visualizing Christian motifs and themes.

This session will be composed of 15-minute papers that examine specific examples of Christian motifs and themes, in both individual works and installations, from any Biennale exhibition. These specific case studies in the history of Christianity and the visual arts, 1895 to the present, may be drawn from national pavilions, curated exhibitions officially connected to the Biennale, and exhibitions or installations held in Venice concurrent with a Biennale.

Preference will be given to more recent examples. Papers tracing the history of the Biennale will not be considered.

Proposals must be submitted through CAA: https://www.collegeart.org/programs/conference/proposals