Virtual conference to discuss collapse and extinction

On 28–29 April, Stockholm University and the University of Tartu are holding a virtual conference on the cultural representations of collapse and extinction. The conference brings together diverse researchers from Europe and the Americas working on art, literature and discourse.

The conference aims to address the cultural aspects of collapse and extinction, how the two are connected and how they are treated in various fields of culture. The conference is organised by Professor of Ecosemiotics and Environmental Humanities Timo Maran and Professor of Romance Studies Sara Bédard-Goulet from the University of Tartu in collaboration with the Stockholm University Department of Romance Studies and Classics.

“In the past few years, discourses on collapse have been more and more visible in the public space, as if it was too late to address the major challenges posed by climate change,” says the co-organiser of the conference, Associate Professor Christophe Premat from Stockholm University. “The cultural images of collapse are further endorsed by the extinction of biological species and the disappearance of familiar biological communities,” adds Professor Timo Maran.

In the face of the current ecological crisis, the topic of collapse and extinction has brought together 25 speakers from different countries and disciplines of the humanities. Their presentations will contribute to the growing research in the field of extinction studies and the development of environmental humanities in general.

The conference takes place on Zoom and is free for everyone. For the detailed programme and the Zoom link, see the conference webpage. The working language of the conference is English.

Further information:
Timo Maran, Professor of Ecosemiotics and Environmental Humanities, University of Tartu, 737 6139, timo.maran@ut.ee
Sara Bédard-Goulet, Professor of Romance Studies, University of Tartu, 5303 2175, sara.bedard-goulet@ut.ee