Open call for Symposium: Jewellery: Making Art with Body Matter (20th–21st centuries) during Parcours Bijoux 2026

Hosted at the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art (INHA) – a leading institution in art history and research, in partnership with Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, one of France’s most prestigious universities in the humanities studies – this symposium will bring together researchers, artists, and jewellery professionals from around the world.

The symposium will explore the evolving definition of jewellery through its relationship with the body and its materiality. It will highlight the diversity of forms, materials, and meanings that jewellery can take, from precious metals to unconventional materials, positioning jewellery as a medium of artistic, cultural, and social expression.

Building on the emerging field of Jewellery Studies, the symposium will investigate how jewellery interacts with other disciplines — art, fashion, anthropology, and design — and how it reflects broader ideas of appearance, identity, and embodiment.

Through presentations and roundtable discussions held in both French and English, this symposium will contribute to the development of jewellery studies by bringing together researchers from several generations. Furthermore, as part of the PARCOURS BIJOUX 2026, this symposium is designed to bridge the gap between academia and the artistic/professional world of jewellery.

This call is open to researchers and doctoral students working specifically on jewellery, adornments or ornaments from the 20th and 21st centuries who wish to submit a 30-minutes presentation.

When ? Tuesday, October 20th, 2026
Where ? INHA – Paris
Proposal deadline: December 19th, 2025
Send abstracts (300 words + short bio) to: zo.kinerwolff@gmail.com and sartoria.contact@gmail.com

>> More information about the Symposium HERE