“To keep one’s ear to the ground: Revisionist turn in Post-socialist Feminist Art History” is an international workshop focused on Emerging Methodologies, Agendas, and Knowledges, organized by Dr. Karolina Majewska-Güde, in collaboration with Prof. Agata Jakubowska and Dr. Wiktoria Szczupacka, to be held in Warsaw on September 4th, 2026.

In recent years, post-socialist feminist art history has been shaped by several converging trends in historical research: the social-historical scholarship on emancipation under state socialism; the decolonial turn, which has opened important pathways for rethinking East-Central Europe semi-periphery—both through engagement with the histories of global socialism and through a critical reassessment of regional feminist research agendas; and, finally, contemporary critiques of the capitalist art institution from a reproductive feminist perspective. As a result, a growing body of scholarship has emerged that can be described as revisionist in its approach to state socialism. This research neither follows Western-centred narratives nor relies on nostalgia for socialism; instead, it is grounded in a more analytical understanding of women’s emancipation that considers women’s agency in socialism, and rethinks the role of culture within state socialist societies.

The workshop aims to bring together feminist researchers working with these new agendas and methodologies, and those who are exploring forms of knowledge production beyond established paradigms. It seeks to connect feminist art historians for a collective discussion about emerging theoretical frameworks, methodological tools, and research directions in post-socialist feminist art history. The workshop will also offer an opportunity to discuss concrete needs and potential models for establishing a more permanent network among colleagues specializing in post-socialist feminist art history. One of the aims of the meeting is to develop a publication with the potential to evolve into an academic periodical devoted to research on post-socialist feminist art history.

The organisers welcome scholars to share their recent research (published or unpublished), discuss their questions, and engage with colleagues exploring art under state socialism from feminist perspectives. Please submit an abstract for a 20-minute presentation, along with a short biographical note, to Karolina Majewska-Güde at k.majewska-gude@uw.edu.pl by 1 March 2026. The applicants will be notified of acceptance on 15 March 2026.

Full Call for Papers available here: https://arthist.net/archive/51529