PhD Workshop - Dissonant Heritage: Concepts, Critiques, Cases

This PhD Workshop aims to bring together PhD students and researchers from all Una Europa universities, offering PhD students insights from different perspectives, approaches and schools of thought. This second PhD Workshop in Cultural Heritage is a hybrid event, complimenting parallel physical workshops taking place in Bologna and Krakow with virtual opportunities for participation and engagement.

The difficulty/dissonance of heritage appears in interpretative strategies created by various stakeholders carrying out its evaluation, which stems from the type of materials (e.g., highly sensitive ones) and objects, historical and cultural conditions, current political determinants, ethical, religious and legal issues as well as personal beliefs and motivations of individuals and groups involved in the interpretative process. The consequence of these discrepancies, tensions, and in some cases real entanglements and conflicts, is that there are many challenges in sustaining and managing this kind of heritage. One might say that dissonance appears in interpretative strategies of heritage created by various entities carrying out its evaluation. This stems from historical and cultural conditions, current political determinants, as well as the personal beliefs and motivations of individuals and groups involved in the interpretative process.

During the workshop, we will explore the concept of dissonant heritage through the lens of four cross-cutting themes:

1. Unveiling the dissonance of the scientific museum collections
2. The virtual dimension of cultural heritage experiences
3. Designing the social sustainability of dissonant heritage
4. Arts and dissonance

Even if plurality and awareness are today a part of heritage discourses, there are monuments, intangible assets and memories which still remain difficult to manage and deserve special attention.

The 5-day workshop will consist of keynotes, seminars, PhD presentations, physical and virtual visits and community-building elements. In line with the Una Europa spirit of openness, most of the lectures and roundtables are open for everyone interested via Microsoft Teams. Links can be accessed in the below schedule:

16 November

Opening ceremony, at 17:00 CET.

Welcome: Professor Maria Gravari-Barbas (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne & Chair of the Una Europa SSC in Cultural Heritage),

Keynote Speakers: Professor Zdzisław Mach (Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie), Professor Patrizia Battilani (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna)

Participants: Professor Stanisław Kistryn (Proxy of the Rector of the Jagiellonian University for cooperation within the Una Europa alliance), Professor Raffaella Campaner (Vice-Rector for International Relations, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna), Professor Valentina Orioli (Deputy Mayor in charge of New mobility, infrastructures, liveability and care of public space, valorization of cultural heritage and UNESCO Porticoes, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna)

17 November - The Anthropological Museum of the University and its ‘Cipriani’ collection

Seminar "The dissonant issues at the origin of Anthropology: the case of the ‘Cipriani’ collection", at 11:00 CET. Speaker: Professor Maria Giovanna Belcastro (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna)

Seminar "The study of human variability and the origin of racism", at 12:00 CET. Speaker: Professor Giulia Crippa (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna)

Seminar "What's "dissonant" in Dissonant Heritage? Steps to an epistemology of dissonance", at 15:00 CET. Speaker: Professor Andrea Borsari (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna)

Final conclusion and interaction with the MUSEUROPA project, at 16:30 CET. Speaker: Professor Josephine Hoegaerts (Helsingin Yliopisto)

18 November - Forlì and the rationalist district built during the fascist dictatorship

Presentation on ATRIUM cultural route, at 14:30 CET. Speaker: Professor John Patrick Leech

Seminar "Dissonant architectural heritage as an object of educational tourism for schools", at 15:00 CET. Speakers: Dr. Tania Flamigni and Dr. Cristina Vallicelli

Seminar "Restoring dissonant architectural heritage", at 16:00 CET. Speakers: Professor Marco Pretelli and Dr. Giulia Favaretto (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna)

Seminar "Music, dissonance and genocide in the contemporary age", at 16:30 CET. Speaker: Professor Stefano Marino (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna)

19 November - Cross-cutting themes teamwork

Seminars, 9:00 - 11:00 CET.

"Reframing dissonance: the hard road to decolonization of difficult collections". Speaker Prof. Francesco Mazzucchelli (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna)

"From Dissonant to Assonant Heritage: the UNESCO role". Speakers: Professor Elisa Baroncini and Dr. Francesco Paolo Cunsolo (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna)

"Inclusive heritage discourse and sustainability of dissonant heritage". Speaker: Professor Magdalena Banaszkiewicz (Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie)

"Tender barbarians or when arts avoid overcoming dissonance". Speaker: Dr. Łucja Piekarska-Duraj (Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie)

20 November

Closing ceremony, at 9:00 CET.

Keynote Speakers: Prof. Roma Sendyka (Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie), Dr. Jan Schultheiss and Dr. Tsjalling Wierdsma (Urban Agenda for the EU)

Closing remarks: Professor Sebastian Kołodziejczyk (Director of the Doctoral School in the Humanities, Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie), Professor Roberto Pasini (Coordinator of the PhD Programme in Cultural and Environmental Heritage, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna)

This second Cultural Heritage PhD Workshop is one of the “Joint Innovative Formats” foreseen by Una Europa’s 1Europe project. Its goal is to experiment with innovative approaches to doctoral education and to contribute to our Joint Doctorate in Cultural Heritage offered by the Una Europa Universities, currently open for recruitment. Browse the dedicated workshop website for further details.