Call for Papers
ICONOstalla - Misericordia International 17th Colloquium
Illusion and Imitation in European Choir Stalls
DUE: 30 October, 2026
Call for Papers:
ICONOstalla - Misericordia International 17th Colloquium
Illusion and Imitation in European Choir Stalls
Location: Fondazione MIA, Bergamo, Italy
Dates: 21-22 May, 2027 with optional field trip on 23 May
Submission Deadline: October 30, 2026 (applicants will be notified of their participation by December 15, 2026)
Conference languages: English and Italian
Choir stalls sit at a unique intersection of liturgical function, architectural framework, and virtuosic craftsmanship. Located at the heart of the sacred interior, these wooden structures served not only as functional seating for the clergy but as primary sites for complex visual and intellectual play. This conference seeks to explore the conceptual, material, and sensory dimensions of illusion and imitation in European choir stalls from the medieval to the early modern periods. Far from being mere decorative backdrops, choir stalls frequently engaged in sophisticated visual deception. From the dazzling perspectival illusions of Italian intarsia (wood inlay) to carvings that deliberately manipulate their own materiality, these spaces challenged the eye and the mind. They functioned as micro-architecture, mirroring the grand designs of cathedrals, while simultaneously testing the boundaries between the real and the simulated.
Fra Giovanni da Verano (ca. 1475 – ca. 1525), Musical Instruments, 1503-1505, Monte Oliveto Maggiore
We invite papers that investigate how these woodcarvings played with the senses, collapsed spatial boundaries, and negotiated the tense relationship between truth and falsehood within a sacred environment.
Submission Guidelines
We invite proposals for 20-minute papers. Submissions from established scholars, early career researchers, and curators are all highly encouraged.
Please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words along with a brief biography (maximum 150 words) to Lorenzo Mascheretti lor.masche@gmail.com and Joanne Allen drjoanneallen@gmail.com by October 30, 2026.
Further information can be found HERE.
Full conference information can be found HERE.