Assistant Professor Alice Goff Explores the Intersection of Art, Politics, and Revolution in The God Behind the Marble: The Fate of Art in the German Aesthetic State
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Alice Goff, assistant professor of History and 24-25 CISSR Faculty Research Fellow, has now released The God Behind the Marble, an exploration of the role of art amidst tumultuous times. Published by the University of Chicago Press, this compelling narrative delves into the intricate dance between art, revolution, and societal transformation during the turn of the nineteenth century.
At the heart of Goff's narrative lies the profound belief among German philosophers that art was not merely a decorative element, but a powerful tool for shaping societal ideals and fostering moral autonomy. Yet, amidst the chaos of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, this belief was tested as art became casualties of violence, looting, and questions of cultural ownership.
Goff's meticulous research examines a diverse array of works, from the iconic Quadriga of the Brandenburg Gate to the mummified body of an official from the Rhenish hamlet of Sinzig. Through these objects, she traces the conflicts over ownership, interpretation, conservation, and exhibition that defined the German cultural landscape of the time. The God Behind the Marble challenges conventional narratives surrounding the power of art to convey political meaning. By scrutinizing the struggles of arts administration in the early nineteenth century, Goff illuminates the lasting impact of this period on the modern public museum of art.
Alice Goff is a historian of German cultural and intellectual life, specializing in material culture, the history of museums, and the history of aesthetics. In addition to her latest book, Goff's research has been featured in publications such as Representations and Taking Stock: Media Inventories of the German Nineteenth Century, showcasing her ongoing commitment to expanding our understanding of cultural history. Her forthcoming projects are on postwar Germany and the restitution of church bells, promising to shed more light on the complex interplay between art, politics, and memory.
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April 9
CEERES
3:30pm, Rosenwood Hall 405
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Until April 10
The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
Jan 31- April 10, Cafe Logan
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April 10
12:30-1:45pm, 5733 S. University Ave
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Social Sciences Research Center, and co-sponsored by the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence, Chicago Booth.
2-3pm, Harper Center, Room 104A
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April 11
5:30pm, Bond Chapel
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April 12
The Forum on Law and Legalities
Law, Letters, and Society
12:30 pm Harper Memorial Library, Room 130
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April 13
Seminary Co-op
3pm, Seminary Co-op
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April 16
Chicago Center on Democracy
4:30 - 5:45 pm, Social Science Research, Tea Room
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April 16
6pm, Social Sciences Research Building, Tea Room
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Smart Salon
6-8pm, Virtual
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April 17
Department of History
3:00 PM, The John Hope Franklin Room
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April 18
CEERES, the International House Global Voices Program, the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, the Pozen Family Center for Human Rights, The Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression, and the Chicago Center on Democracy.
5pm, International House Assembly Hall
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April 19
5pm, Franke Institute for the Humanities Regenstein Library, Room S-102
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April 23
SSRC
3-4:30pm, Social Sciences Research Center, Room 344
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April 26-27
Center for the Study of Communication and Society
8:45 am, Franke Institute for the Humanities
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Around Town and Down the Road |
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April 12
University of Illinois
19am-5pm, Student Services Building Room A, B, C
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2:00 - 3:30 pm, Scott Hall, 601 University Place, Evanston
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Wednesdays 12:30-2pm, Hybrid; In person Pick 105
April 10: Wassem Ahmed
PhD Student, UCL, History
“Negotiating loyalty in Revolutionary England, 1649-1660: The Case of Thomas Violet”
April 17: Julia Tomasson
PhD Candidate, Columbia University, History
“Visions of Geometry and Knowledge in Post-classical Islamic Manuscript Culture”
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Virtual on alternate Tuesdays from 5:00 to 6:20pm
April 23: Sex, Gender, & Publishing with Joshua Chambers-Letson, an editor of the Sexual Cultures Series at NYU Press
Join us in person @ The Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, 5733 S. University Ave.
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Middle East History and Theory Workshop
4-5:30pm, SSRB 30
Apr 11: Leo Spitzer Learns Turkish: Refugee Intellectual and Modern Turkish Academia Prof. Esra Almas Bilkent University Apr 16 Reading the Future in the Environmental Past: The Baṭāʾiḥ in Early Islamic Histories Ameena Yovan UChicago NELC Apr 18 Gaming Islam Profs. Ghenwa Hayek & Alireza Doostdar UChicago NELC & Divinity School
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Political Theory Workshop
Mondays 12-1:20 pm, Pick 506
April 22: Nicole Whalen Harper-Schmidt Fellow, Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts Collegiate Assistant Professor, University of Chicago “Rematerializing Property in Contemporary Theories of Property-Owning Democracy”
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Politics, History and Society Workshop
5-6:20 pm, SSRB 305
April 19: "Current Directions in American Political Economy"
Greta Krippner (Michigan) and Alex Hertel-Fernandez (Columbia)
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Workshop on International Politics
3:30 – 5:00 p.m. in person (Pick 506) and via Zoom (password 208212)
April 11: Austin Carson, University of Chicago “To Spy on the World: Intelligence Infrastructure and International Politics”
April 18: Matt Colkin University of Chicago & Eddy S.F Young Emory University “Perception, Misperception, and Crisis Deescalation: Cross-National Experiments in the United States and China”
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Workshop on Latin America and the Carribean
5:00-6:30pm, Pick 118
April 4: “Resisting the Colonial-Carceral Gaze: Chicano Rap as Decolonial Sonic Resistance”
Jonah Francese (PhD Candidate in Ethnomusicology) & Amy Andrea Martínez (Professor of Criminal Justice, San José State University)
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A Big Data Approach to Language Production in Children: Study from Professor Casillas Reveals the Role of Physical Factors |
Marisa Casillas, 2024-25 CISSR Faculty Research Fellow and assistant professor of Comparative Human Development, recently co-authored a paper on language production in children between 2-48 months. The study was vast in sample size and geographical scope, with over 1,000 children in six continents and analysis of over four thousand hours of content. In contrast to studies with smaller sample sizes that focused on different proxies, these findings found that factors such as socio-economic background, gender, and multilingualism did not play a significant role in language production and the speech-like vocalizations of babies and toddlers. The study did find that physical challenges such as diseases, speech impediments, and neurodevelopmental factors played a considerable role in children’s journey of language acquisition. Additionally, like earlier research, the study found that greater exposure facilitated faster development meaning that children who were exposed to more vocal stimuli produced language earlier.
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Professor Hoang Writes about the 50th Anniversary of the American Journal of Sociology's “Changing Women in a Changing Society" |
Kimberly Kay Hoang, professor of Sociology and 2018-19 CISSR Faculty Research Fellow, co-authored the introduction to a symposium celebrating the 50th anniversary of a special issue of the American Journal of Sociology. "Changing Women in a Changing Society," published in 1973, featured 19 women as solo or first authors and explored the status of women in society. At the time, the Supreme Court had just decided Roe v. Wade, the queer feminist theory was gaining traction, and black women were increasingly at the forefront of the feminist movement. Professor Hoang focuses on what has changed since the publishing of the original special issue, stressing that amidst the recent atmosphere of systemic racism and rising misogyny "Changing Women" now stands as a testament to how much is lost and how much is at stake. The symposium also showcases 14 essays from feminist scholars who reflect on the issue and provide critical accounts of Sociology over the past 50 years, which Hoang outlines in her introduction.
Read the paper in full here.
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Nicholas Torres-Echeverry on a New Form of Political Organizing in 21st Century Colombia
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22-23 CISSR Rudolph Fellow Nicholas Torres-Echeverry wrote about his fieldwork in Colombia for the American Sociological Association’s Political Sociology Section Newsletter. Torres-Echeverry studies the new ways of political organizing in Colombia, recently following the 2022 elections and the acts of political socialization around the election. Torres-Echeverry looked at "barras," organized groups within a football (soccer) fan base, and their expansion into politics. Linking violence against them with the violence of the right-wing presidential period of the 2000s, barristas began discussing their political positions and determined that if the political right was against them, then they were leftists. This attracted considerable attention in conservative cities, where organizing against the state and anything interpreted to be leftism is condemned. In his dissertation, Torres-Echeverry includes these observations from his fieldwork examining how unexpected associations like barras can develop political identities.
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Professor Nicole P. Marwell Discusses the Impact of A.I. on Society for a Harper Lecture |
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Nicole P. Marwell, professor of Statistics and Computer Science and 23-24 CISSR Book Workshop Fellow, participated in a faculty panel to discuss Artificial Intelligence as part of the UChicago Alumni and Friends Harper Lecture Fall 2023 Series.
The interdisciplinary panel, moderated by Torsten Reimer, Dean of the University Library, also included Rebecca Willett, professor of Statistics and Computer Science and the director of AI at the University of Chicago Data Science Institute, and James Evans, the Max Palevsky Professor in Sociology and director of the Knowledge Lab.
The panelists delved into the myriad of challenges and opportunities presented by AI, emphasizing the significant gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not. They contemplated whether AI will exacerbate this division and discussed strategies for fostering inclusivity within its development and deployment. Furthermore, they reflected on how bias in AI provides an opportunity for introspection regarding the inherent biases within our human systems.
Throughout the discussion, the panelists addressed various inquiries from the audience and explored examples of AI implementation that have tangible real-world effects, such as its use in predicting recidivism and determining bail in the justice system.
The discussion was originally broadcast on November 1, 2023.
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