“Beyond Calligraphy: New Approaches in Contemporary Times” – Final Conference of the ERC WRITE Project | 19th Annual Conference of the Centre for Contemporary Visual Arts Asia
Ottobre 15 ore 9:00 – Ottobre 16 ore 18:00
The WRITE Project is pleased to announce the international conference “Beyond Calligraphy: New Approaches in Contemporary Times,” to be held on 15–16 October 2026 at Aula Giorgio Prodi, Piazza San Giovanni in Monte 2, Bologna (Italy). Organised in collaboration with the Centre for Contemporary Visual Arts Asia at Birmingham City University, the conference marks the conclusion of the ERC Starting Grant project “WRITE – New Forms of Calligraphy in China: A Contemporary Culture Mirror” (GA No. 949645).
Bringing together international scholars, researchers, and artists, the conference will provide a forum for examining the evolving forms, meanings, and practices of contemporary Chinese calligraphy, with particular attention to its transformations across artistic disciplines, media, and cultural contexts. Moving beyond conventional understandings of calligraphy as a practice primarily associated with brush, ink, and paper, the conference seeks to investigate its expanding role within contemporary artistic and cultural discourse. Through interdisciplinary approaches, the contributions will explore the intersections of Chinese calligraphy with visual arts, performing arts, decorative and applied arts, graffiti, digital humanities, and other forms of artistic experimentation. Particular emphasis will be placed on the reinterpretation of calligraphic traditions, the emergence of new artistic languages, and the relationship between established practices and contemporary forms of expression. As the concluding event of the WRITE Project, the conference will also offer an opportunity to present and discuss the research conducted throughout the project, reflect on its principal findings, and encourage further scholarly dialogue and international collaboration in the field of contemporary Chinese calligraphy.
The ERC WRITE Project looks forward to welcoming scholars, artists, and all those interested in contemporary Chinese calligraphy to Bologna for two days of academic exchange and interdisciplinary discussion.
Conference Details
Dates: 15–16 October 2026
Time: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Venue: Aula Giorgio Prodi, Piazza San Giovanni in Monte 2, Bologna, Italy
Participation: In person only. Free admission.