For Immediate Release
November 12, 2024
CLARK ART INSTITUTE RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC PROGRAM PRESENTS LECTURE BY CHRISTOPHE KONÉ
ON DOLLS IN MODERN GERMAN CULTURE
Williamstown, Massachusetts—On Tuesday, December 10, the Clark Art Institute’s Research and Academic Program presents a talk by Christophe Koné (associate professor of German and director of the Oakley Center for Humanities and Social Sciences at Williams College) on his new book, Uncanny Creatures: Doll Thinking in Modern German Culture (University of Michigan, 2024). In it he examines dolls’ omnipresence in the material, visual, and literary culture of the modern German-speaking world. Because dolls occupy a liminal space—not quite things and more than mere objects—they appear as uncanny creatures which have held a fascination for writers, thinkers, and artists alike, including Rainer Maria Rilke, Oscar Kokoschka, and Hans Bellmer, among others. Uncanny Creatures moves past the Freudian discourse of fetishism to propose a new reading of doll artifacts in German culture centered on their ability to evoke a feeling of uncertainty and unsettlement in the viewer.
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524. A reception at 5 pm in the Manton Research Center reading room precedes the event. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events.
The next Research and Academic Program lecture is presented by Darius Bost, Associate Professor of Black Studies and Gender & Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Clark/Oakley Fellow. Bost will explore the work of black gay photographer Alvin Baltrop. This event takes place on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 5:30 pm.
ABOUT THE CLARK
The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Clark library, consisting of some 300,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.
The Clark, which has a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide, is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Its 140-acre campus includes miles of hiking and walking trails through woodlands and meadows, providing an exceptional experience of art in nature. Galleries are open 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday from September through June, and daily in July and August. Admission is free January through March and is $20 from March through December; admission is free year-round for Clark members, all visitors age 21 and under, and students with a valid student ID. Free admission is also available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; and EBT Card to Culture. For information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.
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