[2021] ADLAF 2021 Virtual Conference

Between 23 June and 2 July, ADLAF will hold its 2021 virtual conference “Knowledge, power and digital transformation in Latin America”, with the support of our consortium member the IAI, and the participation of several Mecila investigators.

Three thematic areas determine the scientific programme of the conference. The first thematic area, “Knowledge, media and power”, examines how social and political actors in Latin America deal with knowledge and to what extent the digital transformation brings about changes in power, for example in terms of democratisation, labour, diversity and opinion control, security policy or big data handling. The second thematic area, “Dynamics of knowledge”, deals with the processes of production, appropriation, translation and adaptation of knowledge. This includes the relationship between academic or global knowledge and traditional or indigenous knowledge, but also the connection between the valorisation or monopolisation of knowledge and social inequality. Another central issue is the role of cultural institutions, such as museums, libraries and archives, in the production of knowledge. The third thematic area, “Knowledge transfer”, will examine the cultural and historical dimensions of the production, dissemination and appropriation of knowledge in Latin America. This includes literary and artistic projects and counter-projects related to the devices of knowledge and power that manifest themselves in the current Latin American production, as well as the policies of history and memory and the treatment of cultural heritage.

Mecila’s Principal Investigator, Peter Birle (IAI), will moderate the presentation on “Digital transformation and changes in the power relations“, on 24 June (16:00 – 17:25 CET). Our co-director, Susanne Klengel (FU Berlin), will hold the Keynote lecture on 25 June, on “Knowledge dynamics” (16:30 – 17:25 CET). That same day our Associated Investigator, Sarah Albiez-Wieck (UzK), will moderate the panel “Memory and cultural heritage policy” (17:30 – 19:00 CET) and on the 1 July Christoph Müller (IAI) – Mecila Principal Investigator – will take part in the panel on “Libraries and archives in movement” (17:30 – 19:00 CET).

Conference participants and the audience are required to register individually for each day on which they wish to participate in one or more events of the programme. Registration is valid for the entire day and allows participation in all activities of that day. Registration at this link.

You can find more information on the event here, the full programme is available here.