Held in the context of the international project Dispersed and Connected: Artistic fragments along the steppe and silk roads, the first Vienna Mongolian Studies Symposium will take place at the Weltmuseum Wien, Vienna, Austria, an ASEMUS member, from 23 to 24 January 2020. The symposium will focus on social and cultural anthropology and interdisciplinary approaches including Mongolia-related research on archaeology, history, arts and natural sciences. Organisers invite contributions on topics such as: mobilities, infrastructures, transit zones and environment; materialities, art and artefacts; Mongolian people and belonging(s). Some of the questions related to (but not limited to) these topics are:

• What affects do global politics and related infrastructure projects have on the environment and society?
• How are or were infrastructures related to the movement of materialities, goods and artefacts?
• And how do they connect or disperse people, animals, spirits and belongings?

The symposium aims to be a forum for international Mongolian Studies scholars to present and discuss theoretical and empirical research approaches, exchange knowledge and enhance communication on current research issues. Organisers intend to bring researchers, scholars and artists together biennially with the aim of discussing current and recent investigations, ongoing research projects and experiences.

Further information

The project Dispersed and Connected collects and explores narrations, images and imaginations, fragments and artistic expressions of Mongolian belonging along old and new steppe and silk routes, which link dispersed and connected biographies, artistic traditions, cultural monuments and memories. These fragments will be joined in exhibitions and a concomitant scientific-artistic fieldwork book. Led by Maria-Katharina Lang (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Social Anthropology) and involving organisations in several countries, Dispersed and Connected is funded by the Austrian Research Fund. Exhibitions are planned at the Museum am Rothenbaum in Hamburg and the Weltmuseum Wien in 2020/2021. For further information about the Vienna Mongolian Studies Symposium 2020, please visit https://dispersedandconnected.net/en/news/