Writing new art histories Research
The research conducted at the Institute of East Asian Art History (IKO) focuses on several key areas led by faculty projects in Asian modernities, Buddhist art and architecture, calligraphy, painting, and artistic practice. The institute’s art historical activities are enriched by visiting scholars, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and institutions across Europe and the U.K.
The Institute offers several joint PhD degree programs with Università Ca’Foscari Venice and the Sorbonne, Paris. Dynamic collaborations with partners across Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States enrich research opportunities for the IKO community across geographic boundaries extending to a broad international network. As part of the Centre for Asian and Transcultural Studies (CATS) we stress research inquiries that compass transcultural approaches and transcend interdisciplinary boundaries focusing on close object study. M.A. and PhD students at IKO are encouraged to apply for funding through the Heinz-Götze-Stiftung and the Ishibashi Foundation to conduct independent archival research and fieldwork abroad.
China Focus
At the institute, the research of Chinese art history spans painting, photography, Buddhist art, ritual and material culture, and the circulation of images and objects across Asia and Europe. Projects developed by the faculty focus on exploring artistic practices and networks, as well as habits connected to material culture.
Japan Focus
Japanese art histories at the institute are approached within a transcultural framework, exploring painting, Buddhist art, architecture, material culture, and photography, in relation to both local traditions and global exchanges. Our research focuses on issues of ritual practice and the role of materiality in shaping visual culture, as well as the study of contemporary art narratives.
