Reframing the Vernacular: Politics, Semiotics, and Representation 2018

Vernacular has an immense range of meanings and contexts Possibly its widest use is in the area of vernacular architecture, a subject already explored in great depth The purpose of this conference is to investigate three lesser developed themes The first is the political context of vernacular subjects (such as architecture) The second addresses meaning in the vernacular, the third deals with how the vernacular is presented and represented We seek to address such complexity by focussing on the interstices between subjects rather than on individual subjects such as architecture, culture, language, art or design

The word vernacular also conveys a state of being native, original, and contextual to geography and place In many locations it embraces entire environments, their art, culture and the very existence of indigenous societies Hence vernacularity is also part of the global equation It has been a source of political and social conflict and dispute for decades over issues such as the survival of indigenous communities in places like Australia and its original people The commodification of people and place and the impact of global tourism have profound effects on vernacular life, its customs, traditions, aspirations and sensibilities Similarly, we can observe the erosion of traditions, the designation of traditional villages as tourist destinations, the establishment of World Heritage Sites, and overall the redeployment of urban meaning to focus on the global over the local

Therefore the prime goal of this conference to reflect this context, and to invite participants from a wide variety of disciplines to participate in an international dialogue on vernacularity and culture The conference therefore seeks to concentrate on two major domains First it attempts to reframe our understanding of vernacularity by addressing the subject in the context of globalisation cross disciplinarity and development Second, it discusses the phenomenon of how vernacularity has been treated, used, employed, manipulated, practiced, maintained, learned, reconstructed, preserved and conserved, at the level of individual and community experience We therefore invite scholars from a wide variety of knowledge fields to participate in enriching and engaging discussions, as to how both agendas can be addressed.