The talks will take place in the Department of Art History and Communication Studies, Arts Building, room W-215 at 4:30pm, unless otherwise noted. All are welcome.
Fall 2026
September 24
Ernst Logar (University of Applied Arts Vienna)
“Reflecting Oil”
Reflections on crude oil in petroleum sciences and the humanities usually take place without direct physical experience of the substance. The interdisciplinary Reflecting Oil project is a collection of artbased research that includes practical action and holistic observation of the raw material in the context of petroculture. This research approach focuses on sensory perceptions and aesthetic and symbolic interpretations and provides insights at the levels of multisensory and practical knowledge.
The talk presents the Reflecting Oil book, which summarizes the research project's outcomes in all its facets.
October 22
Nicolette Little (University of Alberta)
"Social Media Ghosts: How Automated Nostalgia Harms Survivors of Gender-Based Violence”
November 12th
Jennifer DeVere Brody (Stanford University)
"Moving Stones: About the Sculpture of Edmonia Lewis"
This talk analyzes several sculptures carved by the 19th century, Afro-Anishinaabe neo-classical artist, Edmonia Lewis (1844-1901). The lecture focuses specifically on questions of materiality in Lewis's work with Carrara marble while thinking about the ways in which Lewis's life as a diasporic sculptor who moved to Rome at mid-century mattered to how we remember her work and life.
Winter 2027
The lecture series would like to thank the Dean of Arts Development Fund at McGill and a generous anonymous donor for contributing to the series.