Call for presentation proposals: gathering of the Kulturwissenschaftliche Gesellschaft  (KWG) in Berlin, 16-19 September 2026

Call for presentation proposals: gathering of the Kulturwissenschaftliche Gesellschaft  (KWG)

Berlin, 16-19 September 2026

Criticism & Culture. Perspectives from Cultural Studies and Cultural History & Theory

We face times of heightened crisis rhetoric, during which the concept of culture is once again being put to the test. Laden with connotations of belonging and homogeneity, ‘culture’ has increasingly become a cornerstone of social debates regarding identity and difference. In these contested arenas of politicized concepts, culture must redefine its critical potential for analyzing the times and offering a diagnosis of them. What can ‘culture’ still be, still promise, still refute? What can the study of culture, what can Cultural Studies, contribute to this discussion from a critical standpoint? 

The 11th Annual Conference of the Cultural Studies Association (KGW), scheduled to take place in 2026 under the overarching theme of “Criticism & Culture”, will address three major current fields of debate permeating both academia and civil society: 1) ecology, which – in light of climate change, biodiversity loss, and global food injustice – must focus more than ever on the relationship between natures and cultures, between human beings and their environment; 2) economics, which must explain and interpret both economic phenomena and the social issues that are intricately linked to them; and 3) aesthetics, which is being challenged as a philosophical and historical discipline, while also being forced to address highly controversial phenomena such as aesthetic capitalism or postcolonial tensions.

The concept of culture is once again at stake in the sets of issues pertaining to these three domains (ecology, economics, and aesthetics) and this requires us to explore its critical efficacy. These fields of debate can be linked through additional perspectives; in any case, they are shaped by the implications and consequences of digital- technology expansion and by the diverse debates surrounding identities. The tense relations between globality and locality, and between majorities and minorities, not only permeate social realities but also challenge the methods and standpoints of theory formation.

For more information about the KWG, see https://kwg-ev.org

Our colleague Sebastián Moreno, from Uruguay, will convene a panel on semiotics, with the title “Semiotik und Kulturkritik: Konzepte, Modelle und Instrumente rund um Sinn und Signifikation für den sozialen Wandel” (“Semiotics and cultural criticism: Concepts, models and instruments relating to sense and signification for social change”). The overarching purpose is to bring into the gathering insights and inputs regarding what semiotics can contribute to the ongoing debate on cultural change (with a focus on ecology, economics and aesthetics, as per the gathering’s main theme). Therefore, Sebastián kindly invites fellow semioticians to submit proposals for presentations (either in German or in English) on these issues as per the attached call for papers. In case you have any doubts, you can contact him at moreno_s@ort.edu.uy. Come join us in Berlin to spread the power of semiotics and to foster real and meaningful interdisciplinary exchanges. The deadline for this panel is April 30th.

2026_KWG_PanelSemiotik_CfP