NABA launches the Call for Papers for the international conference “Unframing Knowledge: Artistic Research Beyond Theory and Practice” — dedicated to those who work and reflect in the field of contemporary artistic research. The conference will take place from October 27 to 29, 2025, at the MANN – Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (Piazza Museo 19) and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli (Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli 107).
Submissions are open until 18 May 2025, offering the opportunity to take part in the first major national event dedicated to an academic and design field still in the making — by actively contributing through proposals and projects that will be selected by 10 June 2025.
Organised within the framework of the European project P+ARTS – Partnership for Artistic Research in Technology and Sustainability, the initiative aims to move beyond traditional dichotomies between theory and practice, exploring new languages, methodologies and challenges in Artistic Research (AR) in dialogue with emerging technologies, ecological contexts, and geopolitical dynamics.
“Unframing Knowledge” thus represents a special opportunity for scholars, artists, and researchers eager to contribute to the future of artistic research, as well as a unique occasion for those wishing to engage with the most current and pressing issues across the fields of art, music, performance, design, new media, and fashion. Naples, with its cultural richness and vitality, will be the ideal setting for this international gathering, which aims to redefine the role of art as a tool for knowledge and transformation.
The initiative is addressed to scholars, artists, and researchers working in the field of artistic research, and aims to explore the dialogue between art, emerging technologies, and new ecologies, promoting interdisciplinary and innovative approaches.
An International Vision for Higher Artistic Education
The P+ARTS project — funded by the Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) and the NextGenerationEU programme — aims to strengthen the internationalisation of the Italian AFAM system (Alta Formazione Artistica, Musicale e Coreutica - Higher Artistic, Musical and Choreutic Education). Its goal is to foster new synergies between artists, researchers, and institutions in an increasingly open, interdisciplinary, and global context.
The conference is intended as a space for critical exchange on the various approaches to artistic research, with particular attention to the Mediterranean context and its cultural, historical, and environmental implications.
How to participate and submit your application
To submit your application, please complete the form available here.
The Call for Papers is open to researchers, artists, academics, and professionals in the field. Submissions should offer original reflections on topics such as:
- Definitions and boundaries of Artistic Research
- Intersections between art, science, and technology
- Ecological and geopolitical impacts in artistic practice
- New ecologies of knowledge and education
Key deadlines
- Abstract submission: by May 18, 2025
- Notification of selected candidates: June 10, 2025
- Final paper submission: by July 31, 2025
The selection process will follow a double-blind peer review procedure, ensuring the scientific quality and rigour of the conference.