Venice, Museum of Palazzo Mocenigo,
Center of Studies of Costume and Textile
25 – 27 May 2016

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CALL FOR PAPERS

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The International Center of Studies of Costume and Textile member of the network of Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia intends to organize in May 2016 an international conference regarding the history, production, trade and use of Venetian Textiles.

Textile production in Venice was one of the Republic’s primary industries, accompanying the city’s history from its earliest days. Its quality and design, flanked by the mercantile genius of the Venetian traders, have made it the leading export product.Thanks to the economic and social connotations acquired, Venetian Textiles have been a part of the social history of Europe and Asia for a long period.

The aim of this conference is to bring together the individuals and knowledge acquired, together with the latest discoveries concerning the Venetian Fabrics. The goal of the organizers is to create a network of scholars from various disciplines and of a wide range of historical periods, in order track the current scholarly knowledge regarding the Venetian Textiles.

This will be made within the historical context of the city, taking in mind the history of textile in both the medieval and modern mercantile activities. A further objective is to create a map of the principal collections of Venetian Textiles around the world, their development through the evolution of collecting, their conservation and their accessibility and value to scholars.

The meeting will conclude with a round table discussion which will results to the formation of a committee of scholars. This will aim to promote the study and documentation of Venetian textiles. The conference will be held at Mocenigo Palace – Study Center of Textile and Costume.

The conference will follow a publication of the proceedings. The proceedings will be published next year in Italian and English. To this end, the organizing committee will accept proposals for participation from scholars and curators from various disciplines on the following subjects

TEXTILE HISTORY AND TECHNIQUES

• Velvet
• Silk
• Production and weaving methods
• Decorative motifs and techniques of decoration
• Dyes
• Conservation

COLLECTIONS OF VENETIAN TEXTILES

• Public collections
• Private collections
• History of textile collections
• Cataloguing and access to the collections
• Study and publication of textiles
• Methods of conservation

ECONOMY, TRADE AND DISTRIBUTION OF TEXTILES

• The textiles’ trade
• Traders of textiles
• Textiles and the diplomatic network; textiles as gifts
• Archival documents relative to the textiles trade
• The relationship between textiles and other commercial products
• Venetian textiles producers
• Specialization and construction of workshops
• Textile productions and their function in the local economy
• The Venetian production of textiles outside the city
• Raw materials, provenance, value and processing

TEXTILES AND FASHION

• History of Venetian fashions
• Fashion in relation to fabric
• Venetian fabrics in foreign garments
• The use and re-use of fabrics
• Quality and aesthetics of fabrics in fashion

VENETIAN TEXTILES AND ART

• Venetian textiles in the visual arts
• The relationship between painting and decorative motifs
• Artists’ collections of textiles
• Venetian textiles in literature and poetry

DEADLINES

Paper proposal form submission:  January, 31, 2016
Notification of acceptance: February 10, 2016
Final paper version submission March 31, 2016
registration deadline: March 31, 2016

PAPER PROPOSAL FORM SUBMISSION RULES

The Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia invites the submission of paper proposals that explore any of the topics outlined.

– Please submit the Paper Proposal Form by January, 31, 2016.
– Please enclose a CV and mention your affiliation and contact details.
– Paper proposal form should be submitted in DOC or PDF format to mocenigoconference@fmcvenezia.it and can only be submitted electronically via email.
– Conference Scientific Committee will consider all the Paper Proposal Form received by the submission deadline.
– Paper Proposal Form received by postal mail, fax or in writing will not be considered.
– Paper Proposal Form should be submitted in English.

For more information please contact mocenigoconference@fmcvenezia.it