Independent Algeria: Art, Architecture and Ideology in the Postcolony
Call for Papers for a workshop at the University of Zürich, 5–6 March 2026
How have visual arts, architecture, and urban spaces reflected, critiqued, or manifested Algeria’s revolutionary ideologies since independence in 1962? This workshop explores the critical intersections between visual aesthetics and political ideology in postcolonial Algeria—from nation-building challenges to Cold War geopolitics, from socialist policies to cultural Arabisation.
We welcome 20-minute papers from scholars at all career stages in: Art History & Visual Studies, Architecture & Urban Studies, Museum Studies & Film Studies, Anthropology, Sociology & History
Key themes:
- Visual representations of independence & revolution
- Architecture as nation-building tool
- Colonial heritage: appropriation, transformation, erasure
- Public spaces & monuments as identity markers
- Algeria’s soft power & foreign policy through arts
Submission: 400-word abstract + short bio
Deadline: 31 October 2025
Contact: dominique.laleg@uzh.ch
