The Future of Medieval France” is an international conference on the past, present, and future of medieval studies in Europe presented in honor of John W. Baldwin. Organized by Professor Meredith Cohen (Art History, UCLA) and Professor Zrinka Stahuljak (CMRS-CEGS Director, UCLA).

Bringing together scholars of medieval France from the Anglophone and Francophone worlds, this conference honors the legacy of John W. Baldwin who bridged the two and looks into the future of medieval France in the global context. What does it mean to study medieval France today, when academic research and funding trends increasingly seem to decenter France ? While this conference focuses on France, the reflection is relevant for all of Europe. Why and how, then, should we study medieval France and Europe ? How can we reform or decolonize the medieval European fields from within while remaining true to the time period, its geographies, mentalities, and connectivities ?

Conference speakers include :

Patrick Boucheron – History, Collège de France
Mary Channen Caldwell – Musicology, University of Pennsylvania
Florent Coste – Medieval Literature, Université de Lorraine
Michael T. Davis – Professor emeritus, Department of Art History and Architectural Studies, Mount Holyoke College
Beate Fricke – Institute of Art History, Universität Bern
Marisa Galvez – French and Italian, Stanford University
Sarah Guérin – Art History, University of Pennsylvania
William Chester Jordan – History, Princeton University
Shirin Khanmohamadi – Comparative Literature, San Francisco State University
Katarina Livljanić – Voice, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis / Ensemble Dialogos
Robert A. Maxwell – Institute of Fine Arts, New York University
Carol Symes – History, Theater and Medieval Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Programm

Thursday, February 23, 2023 - DAY 1

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Coffee, Tea, Fruit, Pastries
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Zrinka Stahuljak (CMRS-CEGS Director, UCLA)

Kevin Terraciano (History, UCLA)

Peter Baldwin (History, UCLA)

Meredith Cohen (Art History, UCLA)

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Panel 1
Moderated by Cesar Favila (UCLA)

“Opening Horizons – Thinking Objects as a Constellation”
Beate Fricke (Institute of Art History, Universität Bern)

“Hearing Choreomania : New Perspectives on Music, Dance, and the Body in Medieval Europe”
Mary Channen Caldwell (Musicology, University of Pennsylvania)

“Legend of Saint Barlaam and Josaphat : From the Medieval Christianized Version of Buddha’s Life to a Multimedia Performance”
Katarina Livljanić (Voice, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis / Ensemble Dialogos)

Discussion

Lunch Break
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
1:30 PM - 2:40 PM
Panel 2
Moderated by Kristine Tanton (Université de Montréal)

“Goldrush 1270 : Gothic Connected Histories”
Sarah Guérin (Art History, University of Pennsylvania) – via Zoom

“Empires of the Saracens in High Medieval Literature”
Shirin Khanmohamadi (Comparative Literature, San Francisco State University)

Discussion

2:40 PM - 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Keynote 1
“Converting the Whole World : Dream or Nightmare ?”
William C. Jordan (History, Princeton University)

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Reception
Friday, February 24, 2023 - DAY 2

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Coffee, Tea, Fruit. Pastries
10:30 AM - 11:40 AM
Panel 3
Moderated by Raphaëlle Burns (UCLA)

“How to Give a Future to the Voices from the Past ? Paul Zumthor, from Oral Poetry to Sound Poetry”
Florent Coste (Medieval Literature, Université de Lorraine)

“Conques to Compostela, Arras to Outremer : Toward a New History of Local “French” Vernaculars and Their Contexts”
Carol Symes (History, Theater and Medieval Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Discussion

11:40 AM - 1:00 PM
Lunch Break
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Keynote 2
“Middle Ages as a Theorical Model of Contemporary Societies : Reflections on the “Theologico-Political” Framework of Contemporary Governmentality”
Patrick Boucheron (History, Collège de France)

2:00 PM- 2:15 PM
Break
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Panel 4
Moderated by Elizabeth Morrison (The J. Paul Getty Museum)

“Present in Medieval France : Assembly, Analysis, Immersion”
Michael T. Davis (Professor Emeritus, Department of Art History and Architectural Studies, Mount Holyoke College)

“Medieval Alterity and the Strangeness in/of Historical Images”
Robert A. Maxwell (Institute of Fine Arts, New York University)

“Unthought Medievalism and New Approaches to Worlding Medieval France”
Marisa Galvez (French and Italian, Stanford University)

Discussion

3:30 PM
Close of Conference

The conference will be held on Feb. 23 and 24. Please join us remotely via ZOOM : https://cmrs.ucla.edu/conference/the-future-of-medieval-france/registration/