Series

In the realm of ideas, the notion of a culture clash between East and West gained force with the publication of Edward Said’s Orientalism in 1978. In an argument that has provoked debate ever since, Said proposed that European intellectuals constructed an image of the Islamic East as a foil for enlightened Western values. Post 9/11 conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, seismic demographic, and cultural shifts in Europe, not to mention anxieties in the United States, have refocused attention on Said’s divisive paradigm.

In a series of public events at the American Academy in Rome—uniquely situated in the center of the Mediterranean—international scholars and artists will examine the apparatus inherited from Said and his critics, including Said’s own later revisions to his theory, exploring new methodological avenues for unpacking both misunderstandings and exchanges between the East and West. Recent events encourage us to find new ways to frame the complex relationship between the rapidly changing Middle East and the rest of the globe, especially with regard to a range of contested ideas, customs, objects, and sites.

Join us for CONVERSATIONS | CONVERSAZIONI: From the American Academy in Rome, a series of programs in the United States and in Rome that feature leading voices in the arts and humanities—including AAR Fellows, Residents, and special guests—in the form of lectures, presentations, and performances.

All events are free and open to the public, but seating may be limited.

The 2017–2018 CONVERSATIONS | CONVERSAZIONI series is sponsored by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation.

Each week, the Rome Prize and Italian Fellows of the American Academy in Rome present their work-in-progress in an informal setting. These “Shoptalks” are an opportunity to exchange ideas and receive feedback from peers and colleagues.

All events are free and open to the public, but seating may be limited.