[Deadline]Before Orientalism: The “images” of Islam, 15th-17th c. (Madrid, 18-19 May 2017)

International Conference: Before Orientalism: The “images” of Islam in
the Iberian Peninsula (15th – 17th c) and their Mediterranean
connections

Fundación BBVA. Palacio del Marqués de Salamanca. Paseo de Recoletos
10, Madrid, 18 and 19 May 2017

Introduction
In recent years, the study of religious otherness has experienced a
significant surge. Regarding the perception of Islam in Europe, the
Romantic dichotomous vision between the orientalist attraction and the
rejection and hatred is being left behind. The purpose of this
conference is to analyse from a pluri-disciplinar perspective, which
conceptions or images of Islam were developed, from the end of the
Middle Ages to the decline of the Austria dynasty in the Iberian
Peninsula and other Mediterranean enclaves closely connected to the
Hispanic Crown. The stereotypes which have traditionally limited
historical studies will be addressed; also, the dissociation between
the imaged produced by literature and the visual discourses of several
social strata which were in closer contact with Islam will be analysed.

The topics addressed during the conference will be:

1. How the (literary and visual) image of Islam was created and
developed in the Iberian Peninsula during the 15th to 17th centuries.
2. What are the convergences and divergences between the spheres of the
letters and the arts.
3. The value of stereotypes in the building of the image and identity
of Muslims.
4. The weight of 19th century literary and artistic historiography in
the blurring of the Medieval and Modern images of religious otherness.
5. The contribution of 16th and 17th orientalist images in the later
construction of 19th century orientalism.
5. Is it possible to elaborate a cartography of the representations of
Muslims in the different Hispanic territories?
6. Was there an invisible Islam? How was it materialized?

Call for papers
Papers submitted must be of maximum 500 words in Spanish, English,
Italian or French, together with a brief summary of the research record
of the author, and main publications. Deadline is 1st February 2017.
Acceptance of papers will be communicated 10th February. The papers
must be submitted to proyecto.impi@gmail.com. Oral communications will
be 15-20 minutes. The inscription fee is 50 €. Inscription entitles to
attendance and publication of the texts (once approved by peer review
procedure). To participate in the publication it is necessary to attend
the conference to present the communication. News related to this
conference will be published in https://impi.hypotheses.org/