Studies by scholars including Greg Lambert, William Egginton, Omar Calabrese, David Castillo, Helen Hills, Monika Kaup and Lois Parkinson Zamora indicate that the Baroque is more than merely a period in art of and around the 17th century that derives its name from an irregular and odd-shaped pearl and refers to something strange, bizarre, irregular and disproportionate, hence, imperfect. Neobaroque stems from the baroque tradition and accommodates the baroque as a historical period with its complexity and proliferation. It is appropriate for the instances of reproduction and/or transformation of the ideas and the strategies of the Baroque in contemporary culture. Following Gilles Deleuze’s statement that “[t]he Baroque does not refer to an essence, but rather to an operative function, to a characteristic” manifested in the excess of representation (“The Fold” 227), I am currently seeking contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following Neobaroque-related issues in word and (moving) image studies:

- Neobaroque aesthetics across the media,

- multiplicity, variety and excess of representation (horror vacui),

- major and minor strategy of the Baroque in theory and practice: Egginton’s ‘veils of apprearances’ and the ‘theater of truth’,

- diversity and heterogeneity, destabilisation and decentralisation of the dominant style and culture, polycentrism,

- tensions between centers and peripheries, mainstream and margins (especially in local/national variations of the (neo)baroque),

- Deleuzian folds and spectral configurations,

- historical and contemporary (forms of) cabinets of curiosities,

- the problem of melancholy.

The topics not mentioned in this call can be negotiated/discussed individually with the Editor of the volume. Please express your interest in the publication by sending an abstract of 200-300 words. Include the title of the proposed chapter, your full name and affiliation.

The accepted chapter should consist of a comprehensive essay of at least 5,000 - 6,000 words, including footnotes and references. The chapter should be written in English in MLA format.

Important information

Deadline for abstract submission: 15 April 2024

Deadline for chapter submission: 15 July 2024

The edited volume is planned to be published in 2025.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.

Editor: Dominika Bugno-Narecka

mail: dominika.bugno-narecka@kul.pl or dominika.narecka@gmail.com