Call for papers: Polish Radio Experimental Studio

On October 13-14,  2017, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, in collaboration with Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź, will hold a conference devoted to the Polish Radio Experimental Studio (PRES), to mark the 60th anniversary of its founding.

The subjects of panel discussions will include the socio-historical background of the Studio, the reception of its autonomous compositions and musical “illustrations,” followed by reflection on the new musical genres that emerged under its influence and the aspect of interdisciplinarity.

To apply

We invite you to suggest topics related to aspects of the Studio’s operations including:

–the influence of technological breakthroughs on the development of new music in Socialist countries
–innovation in the organisation of work and production
–links with visual artists and exhibition institutions
–collaboration with the cinema

Proposals (200–300 words) with attached résumés in English may be submitted to cm [​at​] msl.org.pl. Selected authors will be invited to take part in the conference.

The submission deadline is Sunday, June 11 (11:59pm CET). Applications received after this date cannot be considered. All candidates chosen for the conference will receive a message by the end of June at the latest. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute will cover their flight costs and will provide accommodation in Łódź.
 

More about the PRES & conference
The PRES was founded in Warsaw in 1957. Its establishment had symbolic value, as it became a major platform for freedom of expression within the Eastern Bloc. Opened just a few years after WDR Cologne’s renowned Studio for Electronic Music (1951) and Club d’Essai de la Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (1948), the PRES was set up within the state broadcaster, much like the other two. Conceived as a general studio, supervised by a musicologist, Józef Patkowski, the PRES became one of the most innovative enterprises of the communist era.

The history of the PRES is a story of the development of electronic music as well as the phenomena of sound and vision experiments in the 1960s and 1970s, which remains little-recognized within the history of art and exhibitions. The conference by Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź will aim to preserve this history and draw attention to the significance of the studio, not only within the field of music and composition, but also those of visual arts and cinematography. It will attempt to introduce the PRES as an institution oriented towards audio-visual experimentation, constantly looking forward, while being influenced by visual arts and happenings, which allowed the establishment of a new language open for the listener’s interpretation.
 

The Adam Mickiewicz Institute, acting under its brand Culture.pl, is a national cultural institute, whose mission is to build and communicate the cultural dimension of the Poland brand through active participation in international cultural exchange. The Institute has carried out cultural projects in 70 countries. The AMI has presented more than 5,500 cultural events, attracting an audience of more than 52.5 million on five continents. All of the Institute’s projects are carried out under our flagship brand, Culture.pl.

The Institute’s Culture.pl portal offers a daily information service covering key events related to Polish culture around the world. The portal also features numerous artist profiles, reviews, essays, descriptive articles and information about cultural institutions. The site, which in 2015 drew more than 4.5 million visitors from around the world, is available in Polish, English and Russian. In 2015 the portal won the Guarantee of Culture award in the category Culture on the Net.

Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź is one of the world’s oldest museums of modern art. Its connections with the avant-garde date back to the late 1920s. Today Muzeum Sztuki is one of Central Europe’s most important institutions dedicated to modern art. It is the site of constant investigation into the heritage of the avant-garde, integrating research and exhibitions. Muzeum Sztuki is a space for implementing a rich programme of temporary exhibitions, projects related to experimental film, video and performance art, as well as workshops and educational activities.