July 21, 2026
Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin invites scholars, researchers, cultural workers, artists and curators to apply to speak at its digital symposium on African American sculpture around 1900, to be held in January 2027.
The symposium explores the legacy of African American figurative sculpture from the early 20th century, with a special focus on transatlantic journeys, networks and exchanges. The aim is to address gaps in global art history and foster new research dialogues between North America and Europe. The digital gathering focuses on figurative art and sculpture in particular by African American artists active in the first half of the 20th century such as Edmonia Lewis (1844-1907), Augusta Savage (1892-1962), Selma Burke (1900-1995), Richmond Barthé (1901-1989), Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller (1877-1968), Nancy Elisabeth Prophet (1890-1960) and others. The symposium serves as a research and network space and prequels a planned exhibition on the topic at Georg Kolbe Museum. The symposium is supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Georg Kolbe Museum, 2026 // Photo by Jens Ziehe
The symposium situates Black figurative sculptors of the late 19th century and early 20th century within broader artistic and intellectual networks throughout Europe; their journeys recontextualized as acts of self-determination and creative agency beyond previously marginalizing narratives. A central question guiding the symposium is the evolution and transformation of Black image-making in early 20th century sculpture. Although primarily exposed to European artistic models, Augusta Savage, for instance, created self-representations in response to the absence of self-recognition within those traditions. Edmonia Lewis ran a successful sculpture studio in her second home Rome from the late 1860s onwards. By examining conservative-modernist aesthetics, the project offers new frameworks for understanding the artists’ roles as mediators of formal innovation. Their realist works redress art-historical omissions, serving as visual protests and demanding representation of beauty beyond the visual and actual confines of degradation. Their professional networks and friendships testify to their active role in the artworld of their time. The project also aims at addressing the tensions between universalist European ideals, colonial realities and the appropriation of African influences. Artists’ biographies, the journeys they undertook and the networks they were active in are central points of departure.
Applications must include a proposal of maximum 500 words outlining the intended presentation and the research questions to be addressed, as well as a short CV of maximum two pages. Application materials may be submitted in English or German. However, all presentations must be done in English. Applicants requiring translation or other accessibility support are asked to indicate this in their application. All application documents must be combined into a single PDF file (maximum 10 MB) and submitted to info@georg-kolbe-museum.de. Georg Kolbe Museum welcomes applications from scholars, researchers, curators, artists, and cultural practitioners at all career stages and strongly encourages applications from members of underrepresented groups.
After the deadline, all applications will be reviewed by a diverse selection committee comprising curators, scholars, and practitioners with expertise in African American and transatlantic art histories. Evaluation criteria will include relevance to the symposium theme, originality, clarity, and potential impact. Applicants will be notified of decisions by late September 2026. Invited speakers will receive a participation honorarium of € 500.
Application Info
Organizers: Paulina Alvarez, Dagmawit Abebaw Hunz, Kathleen Reinhardt
Contact: Aline Bosche, bosche@georg-kolbe-museum.de
Submission: info@georg-kolbe-museum.de
Deadline: August 24, 2026
Symposium: Week of January 25, 2027
