Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art
Call for Papers | Special Issue | Submissions due 15 January 2027
Transformations: Art History in Australia and New Zealand, 1947 to 2027
Art history in Australia and New Zealand has undergone profound transformation over the past 80 years. From modest beginnings in the postwar period, when the discipline was shaped largely by European intellectual traditions and small university programs, it has developed into a diverse and globally engaged field. This special issue of The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art to be published in December 2027 seeks to provide a collective examination of how the discipline in the region took shape, how it has been transformed, and what futures it may now face. It also seeks to examine the institutional foundations, methodological revisions, and emerging research directions that define the field today.
We welcome submissions from senior, mid-career, and emerging scholars working in art history, curatorial studies, museum studies, Indigenous studies, Asian studies, Pacific studies, and global art history. Topics may include but are not limited to:
- The institutional and intellectual foundations of art history in the region, the development of university departments, the influence of museums, state galleries and other cultural organisations, the role of professional organisations such as the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand, and key contributions to the development of art historiography.
- How art history has developed within settler-colonial societies and how the discipline has negotiated relationships between European inheritance and local artistic traditions.
- Major methodological and intellectual transformations that have reshaped the discipline, including the central role of Indigenous knowledges in redefining the field, the impact of feminist and decolonial scholarship, the rise of Asian and Pacific art histories, and the increasing importance of global and transnational frameworks.
- The emerging future of the discipline, including such topics as digital art history, environmental humanities, and new collaborative research models linking universities, museums, and communities.
- How the geographical position of Australia and New Zealand, their histories of colonisation and migration, and their deep connections with Asia and the Pacific have produced critical perspectives on questions of mobility and cultural exchange, allowing art historians in the region to develop important contributions to global methodological debates.
By combining historical reflection with forward-looking analysis this special issue aims to establish a foundational reference point for understanding the discipline in the region while also identifying new directions for research. At a time when the humanities face increasing pressure to clearly articulate their intellectual and social value, such collective reflection is both timely and necessary.
The editorial team, based at the University of Melbourne, is Susan Lowish, Christopher Marshall, Claire Roberts, Simon Soon and Anthony White.
Notes for authors: ANZJA publishes research articles of 5,000 to 7,000 words (including endnotes), which will be peer-reviewed.
For further information on submission requirements, style and peer review, please consult the ANZJA submission guidelines. Enquiries may be directed to the Managing Editor, Toby Broughton, at tobias.broughton@uq.edu.au
See the ANZJA submission guidelines for further details on style, peer-review process and so on.