2027 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
7 – 9 April 2027
University of Exeter
We are delighted that the Association for Art History’s 53rd Annual Conference will be hosted in partnership with the department of Art History and Visual Culture at the University of Exeter.
The conference will take place at the University of Exeter, 7-9 April 2027.
Last year’s Annual Conference attracted almost 1000 attendees. It is popular with academics, curators, practitioners, PhD students, early-career researchers, and anyone engaged in art history research. Members of the Association get reduced conference rates, but non-members are welcome to attend and propose sessions and papers. Convenors are limited to convening one session.
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.
A word from our hosts
Exeter’s BA programme in Art History and Visual Culture was established in 2013. Students learn about the history of art from the historical right through to modern and contemporary practices. We offer an MA in Curation: Contemporary Art and Cultural Management that combines academic understandings of the international contemporary art world with professional skill development. We have a growing number of PhD students, including those taking a PhD by practice pathway. Our research has been supported by the ERC, AHRC, and Leverhulme, and we have curated a number of exhibitions. Our specialisms include Renaissance street life, early modern print culture, art collecting and empire, French printed textiles, global design history, contemporary visual culture and forensic, performance art, and queer crafts.
The conference will take place on the Streatham campus, which has several notable sculptures. On site are the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum with its collection of artefacts and memorabilia, and the library’s Special Collections. Exeter’s development from a Roman settlement, Isca, into a thriving medieval city can be seen in the city walls and magnificent cathedral. The Royal Albert Memorial Museum houses an internationally significant world cultures collection and regularly exhibits contemporary art. Exeter’s maritime history is reflected in its quay and Customs House, and the Dutch-style gabled houses of nearby Topsham. The university, which also has a campus in Cornwall, is close to the estuaries, moors and coasts of south-west England. Creative collaborations are fostered by University of Exeter Arts and Culture.
We are thrilled to host the AAH Conference and look forward to welcoming you to our campus, city, and region.
Scope/Provocation
The 2027 Annual Conference is open to all members and non-members of the Association for Art History. Anyone can submit a paper proposal.
We actively encourage applications from candidates from Black, Asian and other underrepresented ethnic backgrounds, as well as from groups traditionally underrepresented in art-historical roles in the UK.
We welcome Paper proposals from affiliated scholars, independent researchers, associations, societies and networks.
Call for Papers
If you would like to submit a Paper proposal to one of our Sessions, see full details here to submit a proposal.
Calll for Papers deadline is 23:59 UK, Sunday 25 October 2026.
Key Dates
Call for Papers announced —18 September
Call for Papers deadline — 23:59 UK, Sunday 25 October
Paper selection period — 26 October–16 November. – Session convenors issued papers for selection and contact speakers.
Abstract decisions and confirmation of speakers to AAH— 16 November
Programme announcement — 7–11 December.- Programme information provided and tickets on sale.
AAH Annual Conference — 7-9 April 2027
Please keep an eye on our website for further updates on the conference.
Any questions, please contact: conference2027@forarthistory.org.uk
Image: By Philkai – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19637360