In the context of  the 3^rd International Deleuze Studies Conference 2010, organized by the University of Amsterdam and the University of Utrecht, an exhibition and a debate with various researchers and artists reflected on the relationship between Deleuze’s thought and contemporary art and media practice, with a particular interest in Deleuze and Guattari’s chapter ‘The Smooth and the Striated’ from A Thousand Plateaus (See http://thesmoothandthestriated.wordpress.com). In continuation of this ongoing research and persistent interest in the meaning of ‘smooth and striated spaces’ in relation to Deleuze’s thoughts on art, we are very happy to invite scholars from various practices to contribute to a special issue of Deleuze Studies, dedicated to a variety of issues evoked by the essay and its interpretations.

In ‘The Smooth and the Striated’ a characterization of the ‘smooth’ and the ‘striated’ emerges from a look at various ‘models’ of interaction between these different kinds of space. While the nature of ‘smooth space’ is one of continuous development of form, ‘striated space’ produces an order and succession of distinct forms. ‘Smooth’ has a greater power of deterritoralization, whereas ‘striation’ for Deleuze and Guattari, seems to denote a certain tendency to measure, categorize and solidify a particular state or situation. Important, for the authors, is the continuous reciprocal and entwined relationship between the two spaces: a smooth space elicits the emergence of a striated space and vice versa.

We would like to invite scholars to send a proposal for papers on topics related to the central theme of this issue of Deleuze Studies. We encourage authors to ‘think with art’ and thus to think about Deleuze’s thought in relation to contemporary art and media practice. Topics for papers could include (but are not limited to) the following:

– How do artists reflect on the presence and representation of (historical) processes of smoothing and striation in our contemporary environment?
– What are the socio-political consequences of expanding striated spaces?
– How does memory relate to the ongoing interplay between the smooth and the striated?
– How do site specific art works integrate the smooth and the striated?
– How is art itself a way of smoothing (or striating) space?

Proposals (max. 500 words) can be send before February 15^th 2011 to Patricia Pisters (p.pisters@uva.nl) and Flora Lysen (f.c.lysen@gmail.com).Deadline for full papers June 15^th 2011.

“Due to the vulcano eruption in Iceland, Resonance(s): A Deleuze and Guattari Conference on Philosophy, Arts and Politics  is postponed to July 8-10. Proposal submission date extended until June 10th. Please see the website for details. (http://www.resonative.net)”

A Two-Day International Conference at the American University of Paris
May 27-28, 2010
Paris, France

In recent years, the work of Gilbert Simondon has received greater attention both in France and internationally following the re-publication of his work over the past decade. The importance of Simondon’s thought to the work of French philosophers including Gilles Deleuze and Bernard Stiegler has become increasingly discussed and analysed both in France and in the English-speaking world. At the same time, Simondon’s work has been taken up on its own terms, recognized for the unique contributions that he made to the philosophy of technology, phenomenology and social philosophy. Forthcoming translations of his major works into English will surely instigate a long-overdue introduction of his work within a much broader international community of scholars.
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The philosopher Michel Serres once described Gilles Deleuze as “an excellent example of the dynamic movement of free and inventive thinking.” Without a doubt, Deleuze was one of the most singular and prolific philosophers of the 20^th century. It is no surprise then, that the impact of Deleuze’s thought continues to reverberate throughout a host of diverse disciplines including Philosophy, Literature, Political Theory, Law, Visual Arts, Film Studies, and Education. With recognition of Deleuze’s influence in these various fields, and in the spirit of Serres’ assessment, this  conference seeks to motivate an exploration of Deleuze’s inventive thinking in the particular areas of politics and ethics.

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ASCA / CfH

Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis at the University of Amsterdam

Centre for the Humanities at Utrecht University

Call for Papers

The third annual International Deleuze Studies Conference will explore how the three creative domains of thought – art, science and philosophy – connect, continue and create together.

The visionary quality of the profoundly generous and complex philosophy of Gilles Deleuze may provide new and productive ways of understanding connections, in a world that is increasingly globally linked and technologically mediated.

Central questions addressed at the conference are: in what ways do disciplines meet and interfere with one another?  What kind of methodological and political implications do their dynamic encounters entail?  What are the limits of transdisciplinary connections, relations and fields?

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