Internationalism and Cultural Exchange 1870-1920 (ICE)

ICE is an interdisciplinary network which examines internationalist ideologies and processes of cultural exchange at a crucial historical moment. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were characterised by rising nationalism, imperialism and war. But they were also marked by movements for international cooperation, a developing international infrastructure, and experiments in transnational ways of living. The arts were central to this dialogue between nationalism and internationalism. Artists were expected to play their part in the building of national traditions, but their lives and practices were often cosmopolitan. Yet, despite the vigour of internationalist thinking, historical enquiry in the arts has been largely preoccupied with national traditions. ICE challenges that emphasis. It builds on recent initiatives by ICE convenors and others (conferences, publications, collaborations, exhibitions) to deliver a sustained and collective discussion about the role of arts-based disciplines in the expanding field of transnational history.

The thematic structuring of our project proposes a constructive alternative to the model of national schools, making room for a radical reassessment of cultural canons, chronologies, movements, and artists' lives. There are three strands to our enquiry: 'Sites of Internationalism', 'World Citizens' and 'Language and Translation'. They examine the ways in which artists at the fin de siècle reimagined society, developing their own infrastructures and modes of communication in order to transcend national borders. The crossing of boundaries is fundamental to the project in several ways: the network is interdisciplinary, comparing a range of art forms; it involves collaboration between different universities in the UK and overseas, and between universities and research-active museums; its subject-matter is international; and it promotes the application of new research to teaching.

The network will operate through a series of day workshops, culminating in a two-day plenary conference. These events will promote the development of a research community, supported by a well-maintained website and mailing list. Selected proceedings will be published as part of a dedicated book series under contract with Peter Lang. Museums and galleries, which in recent years have pioneered cross-cultural approaches to the History of Art, are closely involved with the project. We aim to generate ideas for cross-cultural exhibitions through the involvement of our partner at Tate Britain and other senior curators. The aims of the project are long-term, extending well beyond the two-year period of the networking award. To this end, we will seek funding towards a larger collaborative project.

The network will deliver widespread benefits to academics, the public sector and the wider public. The project is international, both in concept and participants. It enables a selected group of leading scholars to collaborate, and to engage in sustained debate with colleagues from different countries, disciplines and types of institution. Our focus on internationalism at the 'long fin de siècle' (1870-1920) promises to transform understanding of an era which was crucial to the development of globalisation. It therefore contributes to a debate which goes beyond the concerns of cultural history in the period, towards a pressing contemporary problem. Policy makers and international organisations would benefit from a better understanding of the origins of cultural internationalism, as would interested members of the general public, and contemporary artists operating in an increasingly diasporic art world. ICE will initiate new readings of art in the context of internationalism and its variants (cosmopolitanism, transnationalism, globalism). In the process, it will contribute to larger projects of public dissemination (eg. exhibitions) which enhance wider cultural well-being.

The network will deliver a variety of benefits beyond the immediate research community:

1) Museums, galleries and their visitors will benefit from the emphasis on exhibitions in our workshop programme, the inclusion of Tate Britain as a project partner, and our policy of inviting curators to participate. We expect this impact to become apparent within the decade, as it will feed into planning and proposals for forthcoming exhibitions.

2) Government policy makers: present conditions of multiculturalism and global tension were shaped by events at the beginning of the last century. Effective government policy demands a better understanding of the history of globalisation, both to promote Britain internationally, and to manage an increasingly diverse society. In emphasising the cultural connections between Britain and other countries, as a corrective to cultural insularity, we will help to present Britain as a constructive participant in international relations. In highlighting the activities of cosmopolitan groups based in the UK at the turn of the twentieth century, we will offer a precedent for a functional multicultural community.

3) International organisations: many international organisations have their roots in the internationalism of the early twentieth century (eg. the United Nations, The Women's International League). The period under discussion witnessed a flowering of international organisations specifically dedicated to the arts (eg. Internationalis Concordia, 1895, The International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, 1898) which provide a useful parallel for present-day organisations with a similar agenda to promote better international relations through the arts eg. UNESCO, The British Council, The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. Our work will be made available to them through our website, mailing list and targeted publicity.

4) Contemporary artists: the art world in the twenty-first century is diasporic (see eg. Rowe and Meskimmon, Diasporic Futures, due 2012). Our study of cosmopolitan artists and their communities at the fin de siècle suggests productive parallels. In challenging an historical narrative based on the development of national schools, the network will affect the ways in which contemporary artists are received. It will change the critical context in which they operate, uncovering a richer and more inclusive tradition in which to place their work.

5) Members of the public: the impact of our discussions will be felt by the wider public through exhibitions and history writing. We anticipate that the methodologies and material generated by our discussion will impact widely on historical publications, both academic and popular. The increasing prominence of Public History, and the appetite for history among non-academic readers, will ensure that our ideas filter through to an informed lay readership. The issues we raise about mixed national identities, cultural encounters across national borders, and the search for universal languages, are particularly important in our current age of globalisation, mass tourism and immigration, and will resonate with a large and diverse constituency.