Why Do Things Break: A Creative Symposium

Why do things break, fall apart, fall down, disintegrate, splinter, corrode, degenerate, devolve?  Aristotle observed that if we make things out of brass they become brazen, if we make things out of gold they become golden, arguing that the suffix demonstrates the new element that has been introduced through the act of making. But what about the act of breaking? Do we make braken things or are they just broken? And who is the ‘we’ that makes and breaks? What forces drive the world’s relentless breaking? What makes us broken and breaks the things we make?

This day long creative conference will showcase presentations that respond to the theme of “Why Do Things Break?” from a range of visual, performing, and literary arts. We invite artists to respond to the central theme in relation to families, relationships, institutions, communities, buildings, boundaries and the creative process. The theme can also be considered in relation to breakdown of political, economic, religious, ethical, intellectual, social, sexual and artistic movements and revolutions. Artists are welcome to present their work in a single medium—such as the reading of a poem, an exhibition of images or a theatrical monologue—but we also encourage collaborations across multiple art forms.

Double Dialogues is a refereed journal dealing with the discourse and practice of the arts. For further information on the journal and on the symposium, please visit www.doubledialogues.com/thingsbreak/

Submissions:
If you would like to present at this symposium, please provide the following:

1. 200 words (maximum) overview of your proposed presentation. Keep in mind that your presentation may vary in time with a maximum limit of 10 minutes.

2. Brief bio-data (about 75 words)

Please send proposals by 14 June 2016 to editors@doubledialogues.com. For further information, please contact Professor Ann McCulloch at Ann.McCulloch@deakin.edu.au or visit the Double Dialogues homepage.