TRAC 2018 - The Representational Art Conference

TRAC - The Representational Art Conference 2018 - home page of the website

People in the UK and Europe often complain that all the best art conferences happen in the USA and nothing happens over here.

Well it would appear that one of the Conferences TRAC 2018: 'The Representational Art Conference' which has previously been held in the USA is this year going to be held in the northern Netherlands - where, apparently, there has been an unbroken tradition in classical fine art education that has survived the past 70 years.

This is what it's all about

the goal of the unique TRAC series of conferences is to provide a community for the discussion of exciting ideas and new developments in 21st Century representational art. It is an extraordinary gathering of artists, lecturers, philosophers, historians, critics, collectors, museum and gallery professionals.

Past keynote speakers at their conferences have included people like Roger Scruton and Juliette Aristides (according to the Huffington Post article TRAC2014, an Interview With Michael Pearce About the Representational Art Conference

Location

It's actually being held in in Leeuwarden - which the website describes as the cultural capital of Europe - and it turns out it is!  It's also a province in the northwest of the Netherlands

Leeuwarden-Friesland 2018 tackles its Capital of Culture year by sticking its head above the parapet

Previously it's been held Ventura, California in 2012, 2014 and 2015, and in Miami, Florida in 2017. 

Conference Basics

Dates: May 1st - 4th 2018

Venue: WTC/ Westcord Hotel, Leeuwarden, The NetherlandsConference Language: English - for those wondering about whether their Dutch is up to scratch!

I have to state upfront that I know absolutely nothing about it - but what I have done is:

• review the website - which looks to me like a proper art conference website - with a "call for papers" (which is how come come I know about it) and some suggestions of serious topics for discussion

TRAC2018 is specifically interested in papers about 21st Century representational art. What does it say about our current condition? What ideals does it seek to express? How does it relate to the history of art? What does it tell us about our current social reality? Does the artist have a new role? What cross-cultural themes will dominate 21st Century figurative art?

• checked out media coverage in the past - which is respectable

I'd recommend people take a look. For those interested in representational art - from a serious perspective - you may well find much to interest you. You might also want to contribute a paper!

Capital of Culture

For those more generally interested in the Capital of Culture activities check out 

• the website https://www.friesland.nl/en/european-capital-of-culture
• The Programme - this is the main programme

It all kicks off at the end of this month with the opening weekend!