Charles Univ.; Michaela Rumpíková, Mateusz Chmurski, Josef Šebek, Iwona Janicka, Alžbeta Kuchtová, and Eva Voldřichová Beránková

Time: 12.-13.03.2025
Venue: Charles Univ., Faculty of Arts & CEFRES, Prague
Proposals by: 31.10.2025

Keynotes
Jack Halberstam (Columbia Univ.) | Bogdan Popa (Transylvania Univ.) | Hélène Giannecchini (Freelance writer)

In their 2009 book „Frames of War: When Is Life Grievable“, Judith Butler attempts to rethink “the complex and fragile character of the social bond and to consider what conditions might make violence less possible, lives more equally grievable, and, hence, more livable” (2009: 1). With multiple ideological conflicts around the globe, Butler’s project remains relevant. While the Czech and Slovak governments still refuse to acknowledge the Istanbul agreement, elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe we can observe an underlying tension around LGBTQI+ and other minorities’ rights. Thus, instead of preventing hatred and resentment, which should be one of the goals of democracy and democratic resilience, contemporary nationalism—based on anti-woke discourses—only deepens gaps and differences. This contributes to increasing violence against already marginalized groups. These conflicts are supported by what Butler calls “anti-gender ideology,” itself a “fascist trend” (Butler 2024). We could also use the term “conflict narratives” based on fabricated nationalist and phobic plotlines. Haven’t these “fictional” stories lead to actual wars – despite the fact that they purport to advocate “peace”? Today’s conflicts, intrinsically dividing, seem to come from the desire of authoritarian power to dominate the masses by dividing them. This brings us to a further questioning: How can we practice both non-violence and ethical responsibility if, in our political frames, difference and alterity are repeatedly recognized as enemies to national identity? Under what conditions can we think relationality and reciprocal recognition if the political systems constantly produce a set of normative borders?
The conference “Queer Materiality: Becoming-Relations” is motivated by the dynamic idea of encountering the unforeseen and accidental through the act of overstepping ideological boundaries. Read more and source … (Web)