2026 Annual Conference
8–10 April 2026
University of Cambridge
The 2026 conference will be hosted in partnership with the History of Art department at the University of Cambridge in April.
The conference will be held across Churchill College, and Murray Edwards College and the Møller Institute, with Churchill College being the main conference hub.
The Association for Art History’s Annual Conference brings together international research and critical debate about art history and visual culture. A key annual event, the conference is an opportunity to keep up to date with new research, hear leading keynotes, broaden networks and exchange ideas.
Registration
The 2026 Annual Conference registration is open to all, members and non-members of the Association for Art History. Members of the Association get reduced conference rates, and concessionary tickets are also available.
Please register here
and take advantage of our Early-bird ticket prices before 8 February 2026.
Please keep an eye out here for regular updates and information on trips and events surrounding the conference. More details coming soon.
Travel & Accommodation
Please ensure you plan your journey to Cambridge and book accommodation as soon as possible, especially as the conference falls in the Easter holidays and Cambridge is a tourist destination. We have provided details here of some accommodation options together with information on transport and parking.
Bookfair
Our Bookfair is a key part of the Annual Conference and is a perfect occasion for exhibitors to engage directly with delegates who are at the forefront of today’s art history and visual culture. No other annual event for art history in the UK offers the breadth and quality of research, in one place, at one time. We welcome academic publishers, independent publishers, magazines and other educational or cultural organisations and businesses who are keen to engage with those researching or practicing art history.
The Bookfair forms part of the central hub of the Conference; near the Registration and Information desk at Churchill College and is one of the designated spaces where delegates can meet and mingle in between sessions.
For further information, and details of how to book your spot, please see here and complete and return our booking form to our Conference Coordinator, Cat Bibby at Conference2026@forarthistory.org.uk as early as possible in January.
Programme
Please see our Programme at a Glance. Further details on the sessions, convenors and speakers will be added to this in the coming days.
KEYNOTES
We are delighted to announce our three keynote speakers for 2026:
Wednesday 8 April: Craft matters: An autobiographical journey
Tanya Harrod, Independent Design Historian
Sponsored by: The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
Thursday 9 April: Objects in Motion: Capturing the Libretto of Louis of Anjou and its Siblings
Susie Nash,The Courtauld Institute of Art
Sponsored by: International Center of Medieval Art
Friday 10 April: Art History and the (postcolonial) Museum
Chika Okeke-Agulu, Princeton University
For all Conference queries, please contact Conference2026@forarthistory.org.uk
Image: Photo by Meet Cambridge.