VARIE Newsletter April 2008
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News and Updates
New Inititatives: Newsletter and Seminar Listing
Welcome to the first quarterly newsletter of the Visual Arts Research Institute Edinburgh (VARIE), which will keep you informed about our events and activities.
As a subscriber, you will also receive a monthly link to a listing of all seminars, talks and lectures that take place at the VARIE partner institutions. Please visit the most recent seminar listing.
Project Update: Darwin and Scotland
The year 2009 will see not only Charles Darwin's bicentenary, but also the 150th anniversary of the publication of his 'On the Origin of Species'. The Darwin and Scotland project, carried out by the University of Edinburgh Special Collections in collaboration with VARIE, will investigate Darwin's influence on Scotland as well as the impact of Darwinism on Scottish intellectual thought.
On 14 March, a symposium entitled: 'Darwin's Edinburgh' examined the links between the city and the young medical student, who lived and studied in Edinburgh from 1825 until 1827. The results of the day's discussions will feed directly into an exhibition about Darwin, to be shown in the Talbot Rice Gallery from October 2009. Find out more about the project on the Darwin and Scotland website.
Seminars at Queen's Gallery
On 28 February, VARIE supported a research seminar at the Queen's Gallery in Edinburgh, which focused on the exhibition 'Bruegel to Rubens. Masters of Flemish Painting'. This very successful event brought together scholars from Scotland and further afield to exchange ideas about Flemish paintings. VARIE is in negotiation about a similar event around the upcoming exhibition, 'The Art of Italy in the Royal Collection: The Renaissance'.
New Book: Locus of the City
Published under the VARIE label by Karen Forbes (eca) and Gordon Brennan (University of Edinburgh), this book examines the narratives and visual codes of Edinburgh's Grassmarket. It uses urban photography, performance documentation and new commissioned artwork to give a sense of the interconnections and meanings of place and context. Described as 'handsome and intriguing' by the Royal Institute of British Architects, it was recently named RIBA Book of the Week.
Funding Success - Calton Hill
VARIE is working in collaboration with Edinburgh World Heritage and Edinburgh City Council to find funding for research that would inform a new management plan for Edinburgh's Calton Hill. We are pleased to report the first successful step in this process, as the Arts and Humanities Research Council have now awarded a Collaborative Doctoral Award to the project. A large project grant application to another funding body is currently in progress.
New VARIE Staff
Earlier this year, Sanne Dijkstra-Downie joined VARIE as its full-time Manager. She can be contacted about potential projects and collaborations, events and funding options via e-mail or on 0131 650 2352.