Charming Intentions:

Occultism, Magic and the History of Art

Graduate Conference,
Department of History of Art, University of Cambridge
3-4 December 202
!"is t#o-day graduate conference #i$$ investigate t"e intersections bet#een visua$ cu$ture
and t"e occu$t tradition, ranging from t"e materia$ cu$ture of %primitive& animism, t"roug"
medieva$ and 'enaissance depictions of #itc"craft and demono$ogy, to t"e contemporary
fascination #it" t"e supernatura$ in popu$ar cu$ture(
!"e conference aims to provide a stimu$ating arena for t"e presentation of innovative
researc" in t"is fie$d as #e$$ as to offer a vibrant and t"oug"t-provo)ing forum for
sc"o$ar$y discussion and e*c"ange(
Acceptab$e topics inc$ude, but are by no means $imited to, t"e fo$$o#ing areas+
!"e sacred and t"e profane,
!"e materia$ cu$ture of magic, ritua$ and sacrifice,
-b.ects of totemic, apotropaeic or fetis"istic c"aracter,
Aspects of mysticism in /e#is", C"ristian and 0s$amic art and arc"itecture,
1atanism, #itc"craft and demono$ogy,
1acred geometry, numero$ogy and cosmo$ogy,
!"e arcane sciences 2inc$uding astro$ogy, a$c"emy, gnosticism, t"e Hermetic
tradition, t"e 3uaba$a" and t"e tarot game4,
Art-t"eoretica$ discussions of t"e spiritua$, t"e sub$ime, t"e marve$$ous, t"e
numinous and t"e uncanny,
Artistic investigations of myt", fantasy and utopia,
5isua$ aspects of occu$t movements suc" as 'osicrucionism, 6reemasonry,
!"eosop"y, 7esmerism, 1piritism and 8e# Age 1piritua$ity,
!"e supernatura$ and t"e spiritua$ in modern and contemporary art,
-ccu$tism and magic in contemporary popu$ar cu$ture(
9resentations s"ou$d not e*ceed a ma*imum of 20 minutes and #i$$ be fo$$o#ed by a 0-
minute 3:A session( !"e sessions #i$$ be c"aired by senior sc"o$ars #it"in t"e University
of Cambridge;s History of Art Department( <e a$so "ope to pub$is" se$ected conference
papers in a boo) of proceedings(
Abstracts of no more t"an 300 #ords s"ou$d be sent to c"arming(intentions=gmai$(com
a$ongside a C5 of -2 pages( Dead$ine for submission is t"e 30
t"
of 1eptember 202( A$$
abstracts #i$$ be peer-revie#ed and successfu$ app$icants #i$$ be notified about acceptance
of t"eir papers before t"e >
t"
of -ctober 202(
?ar$y app$ications are strong$y encouraged(
!"e Conference Committee
/osefine @aar), 9"D Candidate, Homerton Co$$ege
Gabrie$ @yng, 9"D Candidate, C$are Co$$ege
0mma 'amos, 9"D Candidate, 9embro)e Co$$ege
Danie$ Aamani, 9"D Candidate, !rinity Co$$ege